Turmoil in the Land of Mists: The Shado-Pan
by SogekingSchofield503
Summary: The Shado-Pan are shrouded in mystery, much as the land they protect is. But their land is losing its protection: the Mists of Pandaria are falling away. Now, Taran Zhu, Lord of the Shado-Pan, must prepare to defend the Pandaren from the rising threats around them. Not all shall survive. And the journey shall be dark...but those who endure must remain strong.
1. To Prove One's Worthiness

Before we start off, know that no copyright infringement is intended. Blizzard went above and beyond the call of duty when it came to the lore of Pandaria, and we have...little to show for it. I'd like to change that, if I can. Without further ado:

**TURMOIL IN THE LAND OF MISTS: THE SHADO-PAN**

* * *

JANSHO GHOSTPAW

Jansho Ghostpaw was regarded by his fellow Shado-Pan as someone who was almost impossible to get a rise out of. He took things in stride, striving never to lose his temper at that which he could not control. But now, he was irritated. And standing at six feet, three inches tall and with a thick stomach rising above his belt, he was certainly imposing when he was in a foul temperament. His guest was the source of his irritation. "Very well. If we must do this now, then let us get it over with." Jansho Ghostpaw sighed as he rose to his feet, his stomach jiggling a bit as he left his cross-legged position. His meditative position had broken away from and his meditation ended. The source of his irritation stood in the doorway of Jansho's quarters in the Shado-Pan Monastery: Master Wan Snowdrift of the Blackguard Discipline. Their eyes locked as Jansho stood to his feet, and both left the room. Once they were in the hall, Snowdrift gestured towards the Snowdrift Dojo...his dojo. Ghostpaw felt the merest ghost of a smile gather at the corners of his lips as he realized the Blackguard Master's intention. _He wants his students to understand that there is so much more they must learn before they take their place among our warriors._

"How is your son?" Snowdrift asked brusquely as they walked.

"I haven't heard from Ruun in many months." Jansho stated quietly. "But that is as it must be."

There was silence between them for a moment. Snowdrift broke it and asked, "I'm curious: why didn't he join the Shado-Pan?"

Jansho gave Snowdrift a cold glance. "Because he is my only son, and I had no interest in watching him die at fourteen." Snowdrift said nothing. Jansho redirected his glance straight ahead. A hefty Shado-Pan Acolyte of the Omnia discipline cringed in passing as the Wu Kao rogue's dark, unreadable brown eyes took note of him. He couldn't have been more than fifteen years old.

"You know _why_ the trials are deadly." Snowdrift said after another very uncomfortable moment of silence. "Prospects must prove themselves to the order."

"That doesn't mean eight prospects should plunge to their deaths in icy waters in the first _minute_." Jansho responded in a contemptuous tone and drew closer to the Blackguard master, his eyes locking solidly with Snowdrift's. "I _barely_ survived the Trial of the Red Blossoms, Wan. Lord Zhu himself barely survived his own." Snowdrift nodded. "Few excel at our trials _because_ they are so difficult. I didn't want to lose my only son to them."

Snowdrift sighed wearily; Jansho's point had been made. "I believe that I...understand." Jansho saw the reluctance on his face.

"His mother arranged for him to be trained at the Tian Monastery in the Jade Forest." Jansho informed the elder warrior after a moment. "I know that he graduated from their ranks some time ago...but I have heard nothing since then." Snowdrift nodded as they arrived at last in the Blackguard Dojo. This was where every single warrior of the Shado-Pan had to prove themselves to the Blackguard Master. Every single male and female Pandaren that watched the Serpent's Spine was tested here, before they were approved to go westwards. Not even healers were exempted; every member of the Shado-Pan had to do this.

The students of the Blackguard discipline were currently training with one another, and a few were taking two-on-one lessons for dealing with multiple opponents, or building chemistry as a team. Jansho recalled with a chuckle that Hawkmaster Nurong's training had been much the same way. He passed between two dueling students without so much as a scratch and took a single wooden sword from a chest of training items. He tested the weight, decided it was satisfactory, and turned just in time to catch Snowdrift's very skeptical eye. The Blackguard Master had chosen a single heavy staff, which had no blades. The combatants weren't supposed to kill one another, after all. Snowdrift nodded to Jansho. Snowdrift gave a single tight nod to heaviest of the Shado-Pan, Lao-Chin the Iron Belly, who clapped his hands together with such force that the boom echoed throughout the halls.

"STUDENTS!" Snowdrift's booming voice followed it. "Clear the ring. Jansho Ghostpaw of the Wu Kao has come forward to prove himself against me...as one day all of you must do yourselves."

Jansho realized this was his cue. "This is not a duel to the death. I thus challenge Master Wan Snowdrift of the Blackguard."

"I accept." Snowdrift bowed and saluted with the staff. Jansho followed suit. "Prove yourself! Students, watch closely!"

Then they began. The students had been sparring had all ceased by now. They watched as the two Pandaren approached one another, staff and sword probing for the first strike. Jansho initiated cautiously, launching a single light stab which Wan swatted away contemptuously with a sweeping staff strike. Shifting into the Swaying Serpent Stance, Jansho took a different tactic. Snowdrift fended two quick strikes away with the staff, nodding as he recognized Jansho's stance. The Blackguard Master chose his first attack and launched a sweeping blow that would take Jansho's legs from under him if he didn't counter.

Jansho sidestepped to the left and gracefully fended away Snowdrift's sweep. He feinted left, then brought the wooden sword back to the right. He had read Snowdrift's stance like an open book; the Blackguard fended away the obvious attack to his right and prepared for another strike to the left...but Jansho did not strike that way. His one hard strike landed the first blow of the match on Snowdrift's powerful right shoulder. The students let out an 'oooh!' of shock. Snowdrift looked up, and if he was surprised, he certainly didn't show it. Jansho nodded as Snowdrift transitioned into Crane Position, and prepared himself for a rain of blows.

Instead of the staff blows he expected, Jansho recognized what Snowdrift was about to do. Thus, he had an instant to protect himself from the kick, but he was a fraction of a second too slow to avoid the attack entirely. The snap-kick of Master Snowdrift impacted solidly with his left hand as he pulled it into a block position. He staggered backwards from the blow, a calculated move, and almost always an exaggerated motion. _The Fists of a Drunkard are indeed how you respond to someone who kicks as hard as Snowdrift_. He sidestepped another roundhouse kick, and pivoted into his defensive swaying stance...just as Snowdrift suddenly threw himself into a spin. _On the other hand..._

Jansho released his right fist instinctively. If it worked, he would interrupt the Master's Spinning Crane Kick. If not...he'd take a bit of a beating. Then that stagger would become far less exaggerated and more a fact of the fight. But fortune was on his side; his flying fist solidly impacted Snowdrift's left shoulder before the Blackguard Master could begin spinning like a top, and knocked him off balance. Snowdrift met Jansho's eyes and nodded tightly, satisfied by the Wu Kao rogue's efforts. They were not finished. They weren't even close.

The Wu Kao Rogue and the Blackguard Master circled one another, planning their next move. This was broken as both decided what they would do, and they clashed again and again, neither side coming away victorious...yet.

* * *

LAO-CHIN THE IRON BELLY

Lao-Chin the Iron Belly folded both hands over his expansive stomach as he watched Jansho Ghostpaw's every move. He knew Snowdrift's style inside and out, something that had given him an edge in his last few duels with the Blackguard Master. He'd defeated Snowdrift each of the last three times they'd dueled, more than proving his worthiness to the head of his discipline. That was one reason why he would head with a handful of others to the Ox-Gate in the Townlong Steppes later this month. The other...was that he could not stand idly by in this monastery a moment longer. Some of his fellow Blackguard called Lao-Chin soft, foolish, and slow...and these were no longer bouncing off of him as insults had for the longest time. He was irritable now, and he had not been earlier. By contrast, Jansho was unflappably calm, even in the face of Master Snowdrift's powerful Spinning Crane Kicks. No matter how close Snowdrift seemed to hitting him, Ghostpaw would manage to be just out of his reach.

"A master of defense is not necessarily one who fends off every blow." Lao-Chin remembered Ghostpaw's advice. "They make sure that they are simply not where their opponent's attacks are directed." How true that statement was of the Wu Kao. They vanished like smoke before their opponents could hit them, and then punished them severely for even the slightest misstep. Lao-Chin saw Snowdrift stagger one final time as Jansho's Blackout Kick landed solidly against his chest. What he saw next was stunning. Jansho suddenly appeared at the Master's right side, matching him step for step and gripping Snowdrift about his own thick belly...

And Jansho threw the heavy Blackguard Master across the dojo, much as a farmer would throw a particularly unpleasant crane out of his field. To Lao-Chin's surprise, Snowdrift went flying through the air. Lao-Chin realized an instant later that Snowdrift was going to hit him...and stepped back just as Snowdrift spun in midair and landed with a thud in front of him. Amazingly, the Blackguard master was able to land on both feet, but he was panting hard and sweating. Not even in his own matches with Snowdrift had Lao-Chin seen the Blackguard Master pushed this far. Clearly Jansho had to be some sort of a magician as well as a skilled combatant.

In the silence of those moments, a single raindrop could have fallen in the dojo and it would have been deafening. Wan Snowdrift, Master of the Blackguard Discipline, stood to his full height, faced Jansho, and clenched his right hand to his left palm with utmost respect. Jansho returned the gesture. Snowdrift's deep voice boomed throughout the hall, "You have proven your worthiness to me, Jansho of the Wu Kao."

"I thank you for our duel, Master Snowdrift." Jansho bowed again and left the dojo.

Lao-Chin couldn't help but smile, and Wan turned to face the burly brewmaster. "What?" He asked plainly, his expression hard.

"I've never seen you sweat quite like that, Master Snowdrift." Lao-Chin admitted, unable to stop chuckling. "Perhaps you are mortal after all."

Snowdrift's implacable expression cracked at once and he looked towards the departing Wu Kao Rogue. "He did give me a fantastic match. There were no smoke and mirrors in his style. He is truly confident in himself." He looked to Lao-Chin. "I've never been thrown quite like that, but I'll have to be sure it doesn't happen again." He smiled, and given his normally ornery disposition, this was a truly rare sight. "Do you think you're ready to go to Townlong, Iron Belly?" He asked, his face growing more worried and the smile fading.

"I believe I am." Lao-Chin replied.

"I shouldn't have to tell you, but be on your guard at all times." Snowdrift instructed him, leading Lao-Chin up to the upper area where the Snowdrift Dojo's finest students practiced. As they approached, the students saluted their master, and Snowdrift bowed his head in kind to them. "I've heard some worrisome things from Townlong recently." He said this quietly to Lao-Chin, so that the younger students did not hear him. "It appears the Yaungol are on the move."

Lao-Chin sucked in a breath. There was very little that occurred in Pandaria that did not reach the ears of the Shado-Pan's watching sentries. "I will be ready for whatever I encounter, Master Snowdrift."

"I know you will be." Snowdrift reached up to pat Lao-Chin on the shoulder. "I know you will be." He repeated.

* * *

JANSHO GHOSTPAW

Jansho Ghostpaw sighed as he prepared to return to his meditations. The new bruises ached, but they were nothing to be concerned with. He'd expected to come out of that match with a few new ones, after all. He felt a presence in the back of his mind as he began to meditate. "Didn't he go just a bit too far?" A voice seemed to ask. He threw up a wall against it. The voice returned stronger, somehow mounting the wall. "That was a good fight. Pity you didn't hurt him _more_ than you did." Jansho's efforts to ignore it failed.

He realized what he needed to do, and he hastily broke the meditation. Jansho's deep brown eyes shot open and he stood up. He knew what that presence in the back of his mind was. It was faint, and it always spoke faintly before...but now it was stronger than ever. He took up his robes from the small closet and resolutely walked through the monastery's halls. He passed Master Yalia Sagewhisper of the Omnia Discipline, who sat cross-legged in front of a cherry tree, and nodded in passing. She returned the gesture and asked, "Your mind is troubled?" She had a knack for picking up on this sort of thing.

"I felt the presence of an evil spirit." He admitted.

In Yalia Sagewhisper's life, she'd encountered very little that she would dismiss out of hand as being impossible. Her eyes opened wide as she recognized the import of Jansho's words, and she asked serenely, "May I walk with you? I'm certain I know who you will speak with."

Jansho bowed and nodded. It was never his place to refuse the company of the Master of a Discipline. "I would be honored."

Yalia and Jansho weren't close, but they did hold a good deal of respect for one another. She'd mastered the healing arts of Mistweaving and had spent the last decades teaching every subsequent Mistweaver Monk that passed through the Shado-Pan the same techniques. Jansho had taught many rogues in the arts of vanishing, hidden strikes. He'd even been able to teach individuals such as Ban Bearheart and other Omnia in such stealth techniques. "You've been injured?" Yalia sensed that as well, and her voice carried some concern.

"Master Snowdrift asked me to prove my worthiness." Jansho stated. "I did expect a few bruises from the fight."

Yalia's often-hard to read face indicated the merest ghost of a smile. "I'm sure you gave as good as you got."

"I did better than I expected, Master." Jansho admitted. "But I can still improve on that."

They approached the office of the Lord of the Shado-Pan. Taran Zhu was likely within, in meditation of his own, and the door was closed. Jansho knocked four times and waited for an answer. "Enter!" Lord Zhu called from within the room.

Jansho Ghostpaw pulled the door open. "Lord Zhu." He bowed respectfully, looking up and meeting the alert amber-yellow eyes of the Shado-Pan Lord.

"Jansho, Yalia." Lord Zhu said simply. "Is everything well?"

Yalia gave a nod to Jansho, who stated, "I proved my worthiness to Master Snowdrift, Lord Zhu."

"Again?" Zhu seemed slightly surprised. "I'm certain it was a good match. I wish I'd been there to see it myself." His eyes closed and the corners of his lips turned upwards in the effect of a smile. At least, that was what Jansho thought; Lord Zhu's facewrap made it difficult to see his expressions.

Jansho stepped forward. "I tried to meditate afterwards...and I felt a malevolent presence when I did so. It was only a suggestion, but a very unpleasant one at that."

Lord Zhu's eyes snapped open. "What did you feel?"

The words spilled from Jansho's lips unbidden. "I felt an urge to violence. Mixed with no small amount of anger, I might add."

Lord Zhu seemed to shift, his yellow eyes filling with worry. "Did you act on it?"

"I broke out of my meditation and came here to inform you." Jansho stated. "As you have said time and again, one should not meditate when possessed by darker impulses."

"Indeed, one should not." Taran Zhu nodded. "I'm glad you came to see me. Well...what should I do?" He asked. "You felt this most keenly, after all."

"I felt the touch of violence within my own quarters, Lord Zhu." Jansho stated. "I would suggest that the Sha of Violence be more closely watched."

"That is a reasonable enough suggestion." Taran acknowledged. "And it is one that shall be acted upon. Yalia?" Master Sagewhisper stepped forward. "Take eight Omnia mages to watch over the Sha of Violence, and instruct them to steel their minds against it. It may be awakening, and we had better be prepared for it." Yalia nodded.

"Are you traveling somewhere, Lord Zhu?" Yalia asked when he was finished speaking. The evidence was clear, Lord Zhu had already gathered his favored two-handed war sword; the mace that his father and grandfather had borne remained tacked on the wall. A small pack of supplies with enough food for several days was also there...

After a moment, Taran Zhu replied with resignation in his voice, "I am. Missives from the Jade Forest have informed me that outsiders are present in the region. And they seem to be stirring malevolent spirits as well. They want someone to...handle the situation." His tone took on a decidedly sour note. Whatever the situation was, it was _most_ unpleasant.

Jansho knew it was not his place to ask, but he did so anyway. "Are you going alone, Lord Zhu?"

"I had planned to." Lord Zhu informed him. "Why do you ask, Jansho?"

"May I accompany you, Lord Zhu?" Jansho asked. "The last news I heard of my son was a good eight months ago. Someone at the Tian Monastery would know more about him. And I would be glad to help you in the Jade Forest as well."

Lord Zhu seemed to gauge Jansho's resolve in that moment. He looked for hesitation, for any warning signs. "You want to make sure he follows the right path?" Finding none and seeing Jansho's resolute nod, the Lord of the Shado-Pan responded in the affirmative. "I would be glad to have you with me on the journey for company, if nothing else, Jansho Ghostpaw. Get your riding tiger ready to go and whatever you need. It is a two-day journey to Tian from here, after all."

Jansho felt no small amount of anxiety as he left the room, bowing one final time to Lord Zhu and Master Sagewhisper before heading back to his quarters. Tian Monastery was the last place that had sent any news from Ruun. And that was over half a year ago... Was Ruun well? Was he all right? It was a father's right to worry. It was a father's right to be sure that his son walked a path that did not end in destruction.

* * *

TARAN ZHU

Lord Zhu watched Jansho Ghostpaw leave the room and nodded more to himself than anyone else. Master Sagewhisper was still present, and she too looked after his departure. "His son walks a road that none can see clearly. And he desires to give him guidance, if nothing else." Taran Zhu sighed. "I cannot refuse a request such as that." He addressed Master Sagewhisper, "Yalia, before I leave, I would like to meet with the Leaders of our disciplines. That would be Ban, Cloudstrike, Snowdrift, and yourself, of course. Nurong and Ling are in the field, and I am reluctant to hold a council without them...but we must discuss recent events before I depart."

Yalia nodded. "When will you leave, Lord Zhu?"

"I hope to depart by early evening." Taran answered her. "And I do not know exactly when I shall return."

"Should I summon them to the Grove of Falling Blossoms?" Yalia inquired helpfully. Taran Zhu nodded in confirmation. With a respectful bow, Yalia left him in his office.

Taran Zhu sighed. The mists _were_ fading; the same mists that had protected Pandaria for millennia since the Sundering had ripped Azeroth apart. The sacrifice of the last Pandaren Emperor, Shaohao, had split Pandaria from the rest of Azeroth, but instead of advancing...civilization had stagnated. The Pandaren were simply not ready to be awakened from their slumber of ages. How much time would they need? Decades? Centuries? The outside world was indeed a terrifying place.

He wondered what his father would have done in such a situation, and at once realized that would not help him now. Jet Zhu, the previous Lord of the Shado-Pan, had been distant at best from Taran when he was growing up. A sudden mantid awakening thirty-eight years ago claimed the lives of Taran's elder brothers, and left Taran as the sole heir to a man hardened by more death and violence than any three of Pandaria's emperors combined. It hadn't just been the mantid awakening that had made Jet Zhu into an unreachable, distant man. The daily threat of the Sha imprisoned in Kun-Lai, the proud mogu who had once enslaved the Pandaren people and refused to relinquish their claim to the land, and the necessity to fend away the Zandalari trolls who'd served the mogu empire...these had all made Jet Zhu hardened. Even against his own wife, even to his own son... And while Taran had seen his share of conflict over the last twenty-five years since his father's passing, he'd been fortunate that he hadn't seen anything quite as horrific as his father's campaigns in the Dread Wastes.

He knew the history of the Wastes; the mantid attacked every year without fail, meaning that the Shado-Pan absolutely had to keep a constant vigil on the Serpent's Spine. These yearly assaults rarely amounted to anything. Perhaps two hundred or more mantid came swarming up total, but the warriors of the Shado-Pan were able to get the jump on them. What was far more dangerous were the attacks the mantid launched every century; hundreds of thousands of gigantic insects boiling up from the corrupted wastelands at a time...all of them looking to act upon their ingrained racial bloodlust. Pandaren and mantid had been enemies for almost the whole of eternity.

And that was just a single front to his responsibilities. The yaungol, confined to isolated regions throughout Pandaria, were occasionally driven from their homes by the mantid. Instead of fighting alongside the Pandaren against a common enemy, they instead viewed their fat, lax neighbors to the south as easy pickings. This was a mistake that the Shado-Pan made sure to bloody their nose for. Taran sadly remembered that there had never truly been a Pandaren army, not since the days of the final Mogu emperors. The Shado-Pan were as close as his people would get...aside from those who served the August Celestials and the Order of the Golden Lotus. Neither of those were military forces and Taran would never want either of them to face a full-blown invasion by any of the ancient threats. That was simply too much to ask for.

The mogu. Taran's mind filled with concern as he considered the other ancient enemy. They were still ruthless as ever, striking down Pandaren civilians and attempting to enslave their spirits. Worse, they could extract the spirits of their victims and use them to power their dreaded machinery. Mogu colossi were slow but incredibly powerful, and if they were not opposed, they could wipe out whole settlements. But the mogu weren't even the worst threat.

The threat that worked at Taran's mind every day was the Sha. The legends of Shaohao spoke of six: Anger, Despair, Doubt, Fear, Hatred, and Violence. While the sha could not manufacture emotion on their own and thus fuel their rise that way, they could easily take advantage of thoughts already there. Three had been imprisoned within this very monastery: Anger, Hatred, and Violence. They had been weakened by Shaohao's actions of casting them out. Taran questioned why Shaohao had done that. To found his order so close to such things could be a fatal mistake if the Sha ever escaped their confinement. And if the Sha took the Shado-Pan, then...

He stopped that thought immediately. **No**. The Shado-Pan _had_ survived the incompetence of its worst leaders. It had survived his father. And it would survive Taran as well. It had endured so much, the casualties of so many of its faithful few...and it still remained strong.

Taran Zhu prepared the last few things he would need for his trip to the Jade Forest and left his office. As he made his way to the Grove of Falling Blossoms, he realized that what the future held in store for his people might be very dark indeed. He'd better be ready for it.


	2. A Meeting, A Meal and a Departure

TARAN ZHU

The Grove of Falling Blossoms lived up to its name as Taran sat cross-legged, the masters of the Shado-Pan disciplines doing likewise. He explained the situation quickly and effectively, "The villages of Honeydew and Paw'don, along the Northern and Southern Coasts of the Jade Forest, respectively, have reported the presence of outsiders. According to the missives, these outsiders claim to be part of an Alliance, which fights another force, called the Horde. Both these forces are at war, and their conflict is affecting the land itself."

Taran saw the stony face of Master Gu Cloudstrike fall from an implacable expression into one of sorrow. He hailed from Honeydew Village, and hearing unfortunate news of his hometown was clearly not what he'd desired to hear. Master Sagewhisper spoke up first. "Clearly the outsiders have brought a war with them that empowers the Sha."

"They have no idea what the Sha are capable of, do they?" Ban Bearheart, who more or less shared the position as the leader of the Omnia, asked.

"Not yet." Taran said with a shake of his head. "But they soon will. The reactions of the land _will_ cause further chaos."

"If I recall correctly, the Sha of Doubt is imprisoned within the Temple of the Jade Serpent." Wan Snowdrift shrugged his great shoulder and shifted his position. "Hopefully they are still on their watch."

Taran nodded quietly. The August Celestials and their followers would be somewhat indignant at the idea that their watch was not enough, he knew that much. His people were stubborn, after all. But they'd have to be ever more vigilant.

"If that thing were to rise up, right now...it could endanger Yu'lon." Yalia warned. "From what I know, the Jade Serpent is preparing to pass on."

"That's true." Gu Cloudstrike observed in his ever-solemn tones. In all the time that Taran had known Master Cloudstrike, he had never seen him smile. Not even once. "They've been gathering jade for months. To have a major Sha overwhelm one of the Celestials...would be catastrophic."

"That's putting it _mildly_, Master Cloudstrike." Yalia sighed. "That disaster would roil over the entire continent within the **hour**."

Taran settled it diplomatically, it was clear that both Yalia and Gu could go on for hours over semantics. "I will seek out Yu'lon herself when I go to the Jade Forest and inform her of the danger. I don't think my warning will be necessary, though; the Jade Serpent sees many things that escape our eyes." Taran knew full well that Yu'lon would also have a much clearer view of what had happened to the mists.

With that matter settled, Master Snowdrift spoke up, "Yaungol forces are on the move in the Townlong Steppes. Scouts from Longying are reporting that the full strength of two clans is gathering in the region. In addition...we think we have an idea why the yaungol are on the move. The mantid have struck them first."

Ban Bearheart's tone indicated obvious alarm. "Two full clans... With respect, Master Snowdrift, who has reported this?"

"Gao-Ran the Tempered and Rensai Oakhide have reported these findings, Ban." Snowdrift's reply was irritated; Ban was almost five decades younger than he was. "Do not interrupt me again. Rensai hadn't reported in for some time, until that report reached us here." Snowdrift sighed. "We know that, save for the forces of our Order and the loyal servants of Niuzao, our people do not venture beyond the wall. The price they might pay is simply too high. But since the mantid are on the move..."

"Then someone must check them." Taran supplied. "Well, we do have forces in the region. But if the yaungol hit hard..."

Snowdrift picked up again. "Rensai indicated that they might very well attempt to take the Ox-Gate."

Taran sighed and leaned back as a blossom landed in his hand. He let it fall the rest of the way. "We fight two enemies very close to the same front, and must not underestimate the capabilities of either." He looked to Snowdrift. "Wan, arrange for Shado-Masters Zhiyao and Zhen to reinforce our positions at the Ox-Gate. We cannot risk losing it. Ban, accompany them. They'll need someone to...check them." He chose that word carefully, and Ban Bearheart nodded; he understood what Taran meant. While Zhiyao and Zhen were extremely impressive warriors, they were likely to bite off more than they could chew. But having someone of Ban's stature present would keep the two veteran Shado-Masters from getting into too much trouble. And Lao-Chin the Iron Belly was heading out that way too...his normally calm attitude (and occasional drunkenness) might stabilize things.

Wan chuckled. "Perhaps Protector Yi should accompany them as well. Or Chao the Voice?"

"That's enough, Wan." Taran chided; the names that Wan had suggested were two of the more impetuous members of the Shado-Pan. Neither of them were what he had in mind. But Zhiyao's name alone was feared and respected by the Yaungol. Perhaps he might do a good deal to aid the Shado-Pan forces already in that area.

"Lord Zhu, have we heard anything from Hawkmaster Nurong or Taoshi?" Bearheart asked, as that matter had also been put to rest. Nurong was conspicuously absent; the Leader of the Wu Kao, he was an impressive tracker and a good hunter. Taoshi was extremely skilled herself, and their joint efforts had won the praise of the entire order in the past.

"Not yet, but I don't think we'll hear from them for a couple of days, at best." Taran answered him, rubbing a sore spot on his neck that had decided to make its presence felt.

"They were investigating the missing patrol along the Serpent's Spine." Gu rumbled.

Yalia leaned forward, concerned. "I didn't hear about this. What happened, exactly?"

"Three Shado-Pan sentries went south along the Serpent's Spine, near Stoneplow Village. They never reported in the next day, or the day afterwards. We're not sure what happened." Taran sighed. "All three of them were quite young. Loon Mai reported their disappearance three days ago, and Taoshi and Nurong investigated at once."

"So, the soonest we'll hear of them won't be for at least two more days." Gu supplied, stretching his arms.

Yalia nodded somberly. "I can report that Aniria's condition has improved significantly. She needs time and rest for now...and no more wardens giving into the Sha." She shot Cloudstrike a severe glare; the Wardens were his responsibility to enforce, after all. Taran held up a hand, but Yalia continued, her voice taking a hard edge. "Zarai should not get the freedom to lose his temper, assault a fellow member of the order, and not be punished for it, all because he is a Warden."

Gu Cloudstrike said diplomatically, "I am continuing my investigation, Yalia..."

Yalia would have none of it. "And in the meantime, what is the offending warden doing? Thank the Celestials for Taoshi, or else Zarai would be under investigation for _murder_ as well." Taran was strongly inclined to agree with her. That incident had put the entire monastery on edge; they'd searched from the bottoms of the cupboards to the tops of the monastery's halls to see if more Sha had been empowered by Warden Zarai's devastating loss of his temper. Fortunately, none had...but if the Sha of Hatred and Violence were stirring, than surely the Sha of Anger would as well.

Taran spoke then, making it clear whose side he was on. "Gu, I will judge your chastisement of Zarai personally. If I do not find it severe enough, rest assured I _will_ come up with one of my own. Yalia is correct. Wardens are _not_ above the code of the Shado-Pan. While they may enforce it, they must also be ready to be punished when they stray from it."

Gu bowed very reluctantly, and Yalia nodded tightly. "When Taoshi and Nurong return, we'll discuss what they found in the Valley of the Four Winds. I hope to have returned from the Jade Forest by then." Taran stood to his feet as well. "I believe we are adjourned. Events are on the move in the Jade Forest, and I must head out before the twilight."

"Good luck in your mission, Lord Zhu." His fellow Shado-Pan stood and saluted him.

Taran reflected that as far as meetings went, that wasn't so bad. Gu's attempt to blame the victim for the crime aside, things had gone rather smoothly. Taran knew before the meeting he'd have to come down hard on Zarai if Gu Cloudstrike didn't, but he had a bad feeling that Gu wasn't going to come down as hard as Zarai's actions demanded... He also knew that many in Pandaria thought the Shado-Pan to be obsessed with ritual and protocol, but the fact was that at the high levels of the order, where the decisions were made, getting things done was what mattered. Obsequious conduct was seldom rewarded.

* * *

JANSHO GHOSTPAW

Jansho finished packing up his favored kunai into a pouch (which was reinforced, he didn't want them slicing up his pack) just as a strong pair of red-furred hands seized him about his shoulders. "Lin, is that you?" He asked.

"How did you know?" His comrade and longtime friend Lin Silentstrike suddenly jumped clean over him. "Well, how?" Lin sat down in front of him, cross-legged, his green eyes twinkling with mischief.

"Only one other person in this entire order greets me like that when I'm in the Monastery. And he doesn't walk as quietly as you do." Jansho smiled. "It's very good to see you."

"You're going somewhere, aren't you?" Lin observed. "You're packing your six favorite daggers and a dozen shuriken."

"So I am." Jansho confirmed. "I am to accompany Lord Taran Zhu to the Jade Forest...where I hope to find out more about my son."

Lin's eyes opened wide with surprise. He was far easier to read than Jansho; Ghostpaw had deep, rich black fur circling his eyes and ears, as well as his legs and arms. This was offset by a slate grey everywhere else. Lin, by contrast, was red-furred in all the places that Jansho had black fur, and white fur instead of gray. Lin wore the helmet of the Shado-Pan, yet he could be read like an unfurled scroll with only one massive character on it. He wore his emotions on his sleeve. Not quite like Jansho; he was difficult to read at the best of times. They made an unusual pair of Wu Kao Rogues, but both Lin and Jansho were capable of dealing death without making a sound themselves. Their skills certainly explained their last names, Silentstrike and Ghostpaw. "I wish you luck, old friend." Lin stated solemnly. "I know it's been a while since you've heard from him."

"It's been a small eternity, or so it seems." Jansho admitted, continuing to gather what he needed. Looking over Lin's appearance, he saw that Lin was likewise prepared for travel. "You're heading out as well?"

"Only briefly," Lin answered, "it seems that the Golden Lotus have sent for the services of a Wu Kao Rogue. And I was somehow first on their list, seeing as neither Taoshi nor _you_ were available." He gave Jansho a mock-accusatory glare.

"Classic blunder on their part," Jansho smirked, "they asked for the best and they got you instead."

Lin feigned outrage. "Must you wound me so, Jansho Ghostpaw?"

Jansho smiled from ear to ear. "I must, but only if it stills your pride, Lin Silentstrike." Jansho's stomach grumbled loudly.

"My pride is indeed stilled...and yours should be as well, after that noise." Lin smiled. "You need to eat before you head out. You'll lose weight if you don't."

Jansho finished packing at last. "I will eat before I go, of course... But let's go to the small kitchen in the dormitory wing." He looked out the window of his small room. "Can I trust that you'll tell Hawkmaster Nurong why I'm gone? You'll be back first, I imagine."

Lin nodded at once. "I will. And he will understand, seeing as you had to have Lord Zhu's approval to begin with."

They proceeded out of Jansho's room; Jansho taking the pack and throwing it over his shoulders first. "Is 'Aniria all right?" Jansho asked, his voice low. That incident was the talk of the monastery and had been for the last week.

Lin gave him a glance and shook his head. "Aniria's still fairly weak, but Yalia is tending to her. I believe only time will tell if she recovers."

Jansho sighed wearily. Aniria was another member of the Wu Kao, and she had gotten in a nasty fight with one of the Monastery Wardens a week ago. As far as he knew, Aniria had been confronted by the warden over a perceived slight. Where Aniria had been graceful and refused to take his bait, the Warden grew furious and eventually gave into his rage, striking Aniria down after a wild melee. A sha had taken possession of the warden then, and Aniria would have been killed but for the hasty intervention of Taoshi, who knocked him unconscious with a massive blow to the back of his head. Aniria had lain unconscious for almost three days, and she was still weak after Yalia woke her. "I worried that might be the case." Jansho said resignedly.

"Zarai earned _more_ than an earful from Lord Zhu, that's to be certain." Lin muttered.

"That man will lose his position as a Warden at the very least." Jansho agreed. "Aniria did nothing to provoke him; she's a full-fledged Wu Kao Assassin. I can only imagine how Hawkmaster Nurong reacted."

"If he was angry, he certainly didn't _show_ it." Lin pointed out. "I can tell you he wasn't happy, but he did want Zarai punished for beating her unconscious." Jansho nodded slightly as they arrived in the kitchens. It was already occupied; two Blackguard members sat at the small table, eating bamboo chunks and freshly made dumplings. "Who's cooking today?" Lin asked.

A Blackguard who had the bearing and scars of a Battlemaster pointed to the heavy figure toiling away over the stove. "He is, for now." He cupped his hands together. "Iron Belly, you've got more customers!"

"It'll be a moment!" Lao-Chin the Iron Belly turned slightly and saw Jansho and Lin. "Lin, Jansho! I'd ask you to help, but there's no room here." He threw his arms wide in dismay and turned back to the stove.

"Of course there isn't." Chao the Voice, who sat at the table opposite the Battlemaster, smiled. "We know how you got so big now, Lao-Chin!"

"Because he learned how to cook so well?" The Battlemaster mused as he pulled a chair out for Jansho to sit to his left. Lin sat opposite him, and gave Chao a friendly elbow.

"Well, yeah, and he also knows his beer about as well as he does his food." Chao said approvingly. "Not that I'd complain about his knowledge of either."

Jansho realized that he had no idea who the Battlemaster was at the moment. "Your name escapes me, sir..."

"It escapes the lips of everyone, or so it seems." The Battlemaster joked. "I'm hardly ever here to begin with, though!" With a loud guffaw both Chao and he started laughing uproariously. Jansho smelled _more_ than a good amount of brew on his neighbor's breath.

"This is Shado-Master Zhen, Jansho." Lao-Chin said without turning around. "Don't worry; he _might_ not bite your head off."

"No guarantees of that, now." Chao muttered under her breath, only for the Shado-Master to give her a mock glare.

Zhen's mock-indignation expressed itself by voice as well. "Truly, Chao, all this time out in the field together and you treat me like this?"

"Truly." Chao replied. "Now that's what, four glasses of ale for you?"

"Five." Zhen insisted, belching loudly a moment later. Lao-Chin murmured a 'thank you' from the kitchen.

"_Four_." Chao rebuked him, sighing. "Well, you'd better rest up. And get your shoulders out of the way; Jansho can't sit down properly when you do that." She greeted him, "Jansho Ghostpaw, you look more resolute than ever."

Before Jansho could respond, Zhen cut in, "Of course he does. He's got the look of someone who has something to live for, too." Zhen rubbed him affectionately on the shoulder. "And that's damned important in this day and age."

Jansho now spoke up, loudly. "Well, I do indeed have someone to live for, and I hope to see them soon."

"A girl?" Zhen asked, chuckling. Jansho might have found his good drunken humor more welcome another day.

"I do have a wife, and as much as she'd appreciate the compliment on her age, she's taken. No, the person I live for most of all is my son," Jansho corrected him, "who I have not heard from in many months."

"Yes, Ruun Ghostpaw, a worthy heir to his father...or so we hope." Chao knew Jansho far better than Zhen, who Jansho now remembered as hardly ever being at or near the Monastery, preferring instead to spend his life with the sentries of Longying. He was a bulwark in a fight when combat came his way.

"So I hope." Jansho confirmed with a nod. Lao-Chin at last finished whatever he was making and delicately placed a plate in front of Jansho. The scent of the fresh, sizzling dumplings, along with the equally fresh noodles made him want to swoon with delight. "Lao-Chin, you are a _great_ cook. You know that, right?"

Lao-Chin shifted, a little embarrassed by his friend giving him that compliment. He turned around, gathered another plate, and handed it to Lin. "They didn't take so much work."

Lin's eyes lit up like stars as he tore into the dumplings. "Lao-Chin, you need to leave these fools and join the Wu Kao. I'm sure we could get you to learn stealth and sabotage techniques pretty quickly."

"The stealth wouldn't work." Zhen teased. "Any enemy would smell those wonderful drinks he comes up with and ask him to make some."

Lao-Chin now smiled from ear to ear. "You really think so, Zhen?"

Zhen nodded deeply, his chin-braids dipping towards his drink. "Iron Belly, this is the best ale I've had in months. Years, even. The last ale I had that was this good was from the Wanderbrew Family in the Jade Forest." He sighed. "Stormstout _was_ good about two decades ago; don't get me wrong, but it's not nearly what it was. It's like...a pale imitation of the real thing. Whoever's making it now is doing the brew a real disservice."

"I'd drink to that." A deep voice from behind them stated. "But I'd need to know what you're drinking, first."

Zhen's eyes lit up as he recognized him immediately. "Shado-Master Zhiyao!" Zhen smiled and half-turned. "What craziness have you brought with you?"

Zhiyao thumped him on the top of his shoulder. "A good amount of craziness, but unfortunately, no noodles from the wife this time..." He cast a glance over Jansho's plate, "I shouldn't have to worry about that, though. Someone's gone and made some fresh!"

Jansho hastily began eating his noodles, using the chopsticks that had somehow appeared out of nowhere next to him. Zhen nudged him and winked. "You'd better eat up, Jansho Ghostpaw. From what I hear, Lord Zhu doesn't like to be kept waiting."

That only added more haste. Lin (who'd by now devoured all six dumplings that Lao-Chin had given him) gave Zhen a disapproving glance. "I don't think Lord Zhu likes his people choking on the best food in Kun-Lai, either. Take a moment and enjoy it, Jansho. Who knows when you'll get food like that again?"

"Field rations." Zhiyao muttered contemptuously. "Lin speaks the truth, as he often does." Lao-Chin handed him a small box of noodles (which were still steaming) and the burly Shado-Master tucked into it with alacrity.

Jansho was finished with his food in a few moments, and he stood back to allow Shado-Master Zhiyao to sit down. "Well...duty calls. I'd love another serving in any other circumstance, Lao-Chin, but as Zhen says, Lord Zhu does not like to be kept waiting."

No sooner was Jansho gone than Zhiyao immediately started telling all of his old war stories, many of which Jansho had heard before. He was familiar with Zhiyao, unlike Zhen, and he knew that Zhiyao and Lin had been good friends (in fact, Zhiyao had instructed Lin on how to perfect his sneaking skills). But neither Zhen nor Zhiyao were usually seen near the Monastery. What, then, was Shado-Master Zhen doing here? Were all the Shado-Masters being summoned by Lord Zhu and then being sent into the field again? It wasn't Jansho's place to know, or to ask, for that matter, but he was quite apprehensive as he made his way to the Monastery's Stables. This was where just about every Shado-Pan Riding Tiger was kept...except for the very wild ones that were still being broken in.

To his surprise, Jansho had arrived before Lord Zhu. He saluted the stable master in passing, and Qagaora, the faithful riding tiger that he'd named after his wife, perked up as he drew closer to her. She'd served him well for many years and had seen some action in battle. Qagaora was fully capable of bearing his weight and possibly another's if necessary. She was a subtle and quiet tiger, which suited Jansho's set of skills perfectly. Other tigers, particularly those of the Blackguard, roared as they approached their enemies...which did not serve the purposes of stealth very well. He took a small treat from his travel pack, allowed Qagaora to lick it up off his hands and take it gently in her teeth, and scratched behind her ears. The tiger growled lightly and nuzzled herself against his hand. "Ready to go?" He asked. The tiger rumbled her reply. Jansho took up the saddle holstered to one side of the stall and gently lowered it onto Qagaora's back. The pure power of the riding tiger was restrained for now, and she would gladly carry him to the Jade Forest. There was a bond forged between rider and tiger that was almost implicit. Shado-Pan Riding Tigers had been known to give their lives to save those they carried, and the same was true of the Shado-Pan. They simply would not allow mogu to take the big cats for their own evil uses.

* * *

TARAN ZHU

His war-sword and travel pack ready, Lord Taran Zhu sighed as he hefted the Shoulder Pauldron of Xuen, the White Tiger, onto his right arm. He approached the stables, and he was not looking forward to seeing the outsiders on the shores of his homeland. He wished that more knowledge of them was available to begin with, but they were an enigma for now, and he would have to unravel it and determine what kind of threat they represented. He had two conflicts to attend to, and they were on opposite ends of the Jade Forest, as well as an advisory for one of the August Celestials. He noticed that Jansho Ghostpaw was already there, ready to leave, which pleasantly surprised Taran. "I am ready to leave as soon as you are, Lord Zhu." Jansho bowed as Taran came nearer.

Taran nodded in acknowledgment of Jansho's gesture. "Good. I'll mount up and we'll head out for the Jade Forest." He chose his tiger, a beautiful white tiger that resembled Xuen. Jansho smiled as he realized the significance of Taran's appearance; the Lord of the Shado-Pan wore the traditional helmet of his order along with Xuen's shoulder guard, and he rode a tiger that resembled Xuen. If he was going to make an impression, it would be a fierce one indeed. Taran looked over Jansho's appearance and asked, "You don't wear the helmet, Jansho?"

Jansho shook his head. "No. The Jade Forest is not exactly the coldest place in Pandaria, and I'd rather not sweat to death."

Taran mentally admitted that Jansho did have a point. Jansho led his tiger mount out of her stall, took up the rider's stance in a swift gesture that caused no distress to her, and was off towards the gates almost in a single motion. Taran was impressed. Clearly, there was a good deal of chemistry between the two. Taran caught up to Jansho in a few moments, and, as the Monastery's Gates opened, the two set out into the late afternoon. The skies seemed to be afire as they departed Shado-Pan Monastery bound for the Jade Forest, and foreboding crept at the edges of Taran's heart as the sun set over Kun-Lai. Events were on the move, and it looked more and more like his people were pawns in someone else's game.

* * *

This is a transitional chapter of sorts, introducing some additional characters (Shado-Master Zhiyao is one of the spirits that you release from the oaths of the Shado-Pan in A Line Unbroken, while Shado-Master Zhen's quest appears to have been dropped entirely after 5.0.3). More content is on the way.


	3. A Night on the Road

VALLEY OF THE FOUR WINDS

NIGHT OF THE FIRST DAY

JANSHO GHOSTPAW

Jansho Ghostpaw massaged his tired back muscles and thighs with his hands as best he could. Despite the fact that twilight had come upon Lord Zhu and he almost before they had left Kun-Lai, they had ridden fast and far in the early night. They'd made excellent progress and were almost to the Jade Forest already. But their tigers were exhausted from the long journey, however, and they had no interest in running their mounts into the ground.

"Tomorrow will not be an easy day of travel." Taran Zhu advised him. "The roads in the Jade Forest are far from ideal, and they never seem to improve from year to year." He removed Xuen's Shoulder Guard with utmost reverence, whispering prayers to the Celestial as he did so, and lay down on a sleeping pad, keeping one hand underneath his head for cushioning along with his scarf.

Jansho had the benefit of a similar sleeping pad, but no scarf, and he was glad that he didn't. Even at night, the boundaries between the Jade Forest and Valley of the Four Winds were a humid, itchy place where mosquitoes and wasps were rampant. Having the scarlet scarf of the Shado-Pan would merely draw the wasps to his neck. As for the mosquitoes, well...they'd hit his fur and buzz in his face, but the only place they could do any real damage was to his underarms and nose. And he made sure those were protected before settling in. The two Shado-Pan lay beneath the night skies of the Valley of the Four Winds.

"We haven't crossed into the Jade Forest proper yet, Lord Zhu." Jansho observed quietly. "It's...been some time since I last headed out this way."

Taran nodded, his expression indicating just how tired he was from the night's travels. "Was that to see your son?"

"It was," Jansho answered him, "and as I recall, it was just after he graduated from Tian Monastery."

"I'm sure he learned a good deal while he was there." Taran stated approvingly. "Tian was where the emperors tested themselves in the days of old, Jansho. Seeing as your son graduated, he had to justify his place there." He added, "I heard that he did not undertake the Trial of the Red Blossoms. Was that...because you barely survived your own trial?" Jansho noted that Taran had chosen the last words carefully, but his tone had been curious.

The uncomfortable question scurried to light at last, and Jansho had no choice but to answer. Jansho sighed and responded to Taran Zhu as best he could. "That is indeed why. Ruun was fourteen years old, and old enough to try...but he was the only child that I had. I was _not_ in a good place at that time mentally, Lord Zhu, and losing him...would surely have led to my departing completely from the order." His voice trailed off. He had not spoken to anyone aside from his wife about that period of his life. Jansho had gone astray for the better part of two years after the death of two very close friends. They'd all survived the Trial of the Red Blossoms together, and had built a tight bond together against every foe they faced...only to have it rent apart. A mogu assault on a cold winter night in Kun-Lai left both Khajai the Tracker and Sena Goldendraft, both of whom Jansho cared for as his own family, dead.

His wife Qagaora had tried to help him recover. But Jansho had been stubborn and prideful, and had followed a very dark road...which _definitely_ deviated from what the Shado-Pan found tolerable in terms of behavior. He'd gone out alone to the islands of the Townlong Steppes, hidden himself away and meditated on dark subjects and ideas. He had lived as a warrior monk in isolation near the Temple of Niuzao, brooding, angry, and unreachable. His service as a Wu Kao rogue...did not matter to him during that time. It had taken Jansho a many months to realize just how close that path had pushed him to death. He'd been well-tested, if nothing else, as he'd fought essentially every day for those years. His foes had been mantid scouts, dreadspinners, and flyers, as well as mogu who dared to leave the island of Shan'ze Dao and encroach upon Niuzao's temple. He'd been a protector in name only, striking at those who dared intrude upon him and impossible to reason with. Not even his fellow Shado-Pan would come near him after the first few months. Twenty-two months passed before Jansho finally, excruciatingly came to terms with the deaths of his friends and released the anger that had possessed him for so long. Only once it had departed was he able to accept himself as Jansho Ghostpaw, Shado-Pan Rogue.

He'd apologized effusively to Taran Zhu when at last he returned to the Shado-Pan Garrison in the Townlong Steppers. He'd owned his actions from his long departure, though, never denying his deeds. Lord Zhu had accepted that, but he was _**not**_ pleased by Jansho's insistence on remaining astray for the better part of two years. As for the head of his discipline, Hawkmaster Nurong, well...Nurong was most displeased. Jansho found out on his return that Nurong had bumped him down **severely** in the Wu Kao pecking order, putting him so far down that they had to invent a new rank to cover his demotion. This had resulted in several months' worth of menial chores and labor in the Monastery, with no field duties. He was not resentful. He accepted the reprimands for what they were, and had begun to build himself up (with help from Lin Silentstrike and Shado-Master Chong). Jansho eventually exceeded the position he'd had when he departed from the Wu Kao, and now, he was only behind Taoshi on Nurong's dossier of assassins. That dossier determined who went with Nurong into the field, those who were assigned to other field duties, and who stayed behind in the Monastery. A decade ago, Jansho would have been insanely jealous of Taoshi. Now, he could find no jealousy in himself. Taoshi was _incredibly_ skilled, and he truly admired her courage and finesse in combat.

Taran nodded understandingly. "For what it is worth, I believe you made the right decision. I do wonder why we put our young ones through such a grueling trial at times. The answer's the same: tradition." He snorted derisively. "I know that it is common knowledge that I did not exactly...excel at my own trial, Jansho. For a while, there were whispers that I had only _survived_ because my father had trained me in secret." For a moment, Jansho saw a very distant look in Taran's eye...but only for a moment, and it was gone. Taran continued, "I wish. He lavished his attention on my older brothers. They won his adulation every single day, almost by breathing. I envied them for a long time..." Taran's face fell. "I was...a disappointment by comparison to them. Nothing I could do would possibly please my father. Surviving the Trial of the Red Blossoms, instead of _excelling_ at it as my older brothers had, hardly ingratiated me to him."

"What happened to your brothers, Lord Zhu, if...you don't mind me asking?" Jansho asked delicately, knowing that he was in possibly dangerous waters. He'd never seen this side to Taran Zhu before. He doubted that any Shado-Pan ever had since the death of Zhu's mother more than thirty years ago.

Taran's golden eyes locked with Jansho's as he sadly murmured, "I...apologize. I do not feel comfortable talking about that now. Those old memories contain a good deal of pain." He sighed. "If you really need to know, we can talk about it another time."

Jansho nodded. "I did not mean to pry into matters that bring you pain, Lord Zhu. And I do understand."

"Do you have any siblings, Jansho?" Taran asked, then.

Jansho answered in the affirmative. "I do have an older sister, but she moved from Zouchin Village to the Krasarang Wilds about a decade ago. I have not heard from her in many years."

"Were you close?" Taran inquired respectfully.

"I'd like to think we were in our youth." Jansho shrugged. "I can't say now. But I do hope she has found the strength to overcome any obstacle that she has come across."

"A good sentiment to have..." Taran sighed. "Jansho, if that's too personal for you, I apologize."

"No, Lord Zhu, I intruded first. And I would gladly answer any questions about my past that you may have..." Jansho smiled slightly, showing his healthy teeth.

In that instant, the memory of his return to the Shado-Pan possessed him.

* * *

_SHADO-PAN MONASTERY, EIGHT YEARS AGO_

_ Taran met the eyes of Jansho Ghostpaw solidly, his deep golden irises setting on Jansho's. Rooting him in place, Jansho felt... "What was it like, Jansho? Fighting for two years, struggling every day to survive?"_

_ Jansho gulped as he pondered his reply. "It was...strange. I tested my abilities every single day. I found out what I was capable of doing, how much more I could improve...but I also was wounded many times over. I am not proud of it, and I know I made a huge mistake. Instead of asking for the aid of those who could have helped me, I thought I had all the answers and that they were fools instead. I retreated as far from them as I could, knowing that few would dare to follow in my footsteps." He shook his head. "I truly wish I hadn't been so prideful."_

_ Taran made no reply at first, digesting his words instead. After a moment, he cleared his throat. "Would you say that the life you spent near Niuzao's Temple was one worth living, Jansho?"_

_ "No. It wasn't." Jansho answered him readily, his words crisp, clear. There was no doubt in his tones. "I also wish I'd realized what a foolish decision that was at the start."_

_ Taran accepted that with a grave nod. "There are...some who view you as an example, Jansho. I do not mean to put you on the spot, but...you have taught many Wu Kao, and are considered a legend by some of the younger students who lack the wisdom of years spent focusing their minds against the Sha. They might view your actions on the Island of Niuzao as something to aspire to. For them, what could be better than living a life in isolation, fighting the old enemies?" Jansho realized that this was not a rhetorical question. Lord Zhu was asking him to explain himself._

_ Jansho looked down, and then met Taran's eyes again. "Because I fought for the wrong reasons, Lord Zhu. I saw their faces every single time I cut down a mogu, and invoked their names every time I eviscerated a mantid. I'd hoped they'd be happy that I was doing it for them." He looked away. "Instead I saw nothing but shame, because I was killing in their name."_

_ The memory faded around him._

* * *

VALLEY OF THE FOUR WINDS, THE FIRST NIGHT

Jansho shook his head swiftly as his recollection vanished and his mind grasped at his immediate surroundings. He remembered where he was after a brief moment. But his body did not for a moment, and he tripped over his tongue, fumbling for the words, and Lord Zhu looked concernedly at him. "I'm...truly sorry, Lord Zhu. I slipped into a rather intense memory." Clearing his throat, Jansho shivered a bit. "May I ask what brought this on?" He inquired.

"I wonder whether all this pomp and circumstance will mean _anything_ to the outsiders. I want to be sure of the ground I stand on, yet the outsiders might as well be phantasms that we know very little about." Taran answered him in a cold voice. "And their actions have only empowered our most terrible foe."

"The outsiders should not be considered enemies yet, Lord Zhu. They could yet be our allies in the days ahead. We know so little about them to begin with..." Jansho cautioned. "A show of strength might impress them...except it'll have to be your show of strength. I'm not exactly Lao-Chin."

Taran laughed aloud at once. "I suppose you aren't quite as round as the Iron Belly! Still, we'll have to determine what the outsiders are doing here, and what the measure of their character is. And if they are causing chaos on this continent, then it must be impressed upon them that they leave." He rolled on his back and looked to Jansho. "Jansho, just because I am Lord of the Shado-Pan doesn't make me immune to doubts. To deny that the doubts exist entirely would be like ignoring an open gate to the fortress of my mind. That would be a colossal mistake. And I know that my mistakes could all too easily decide the fate of our people."

"At the same time, so too will your better judgment." Jansho stated. "Others, and especially those who depend on you for guidance, will surely sense your doubts if you do not rid yourself of them, Lord Zhu. And if you falter...who are the Shado-Pan to turn to?" He left the question of whether Lord Zhu would ever seek an heir in his mind.

Taran smiled slightly. "You are correct, Jansho. My burden of being the Lord of the Shado-Pan is a heavy one." Taran murmured as he prepared to fall asleep at last. "And I must strive to follow the correct path. The way of our people is not an easy one, but it enables us to sleep at night."

Jansho fell asleep quickly and was soon slumbering soundly. His eyes closed, the Shado-Pan veteran dreamt of his son.

* * *

MORNING OF THE SECOND DAY

TARAN ZHU

Taran yawned as his weariness departed and daylight flooded his eyes almost as one. He cracked his neck and replaced the scarf about his neck, feeling its welcome warmth in the early dawnlight hours. Jansho was awake already, and he sipped a small bamboo canteen of water. "Good morning, Lord Zhu." Jansho greeted him. "Get a good night's rest?"

"As good a rest as could be expected for a night spent on the road, yes." Taran shrugged his shoulders, rubbed his stomach, and reached for his pack. After a moment spent searching through it, he found a small ration pack: two bamboo sticks wrapped together along with a small fried ball containing a sweet, salty sauce. He dipped the bamboo into the sauce, and his teeth eagerly tore into the bamboo. He was finished quickly, and he said approvingly, "I'll have to thank Ling of the Six Pools for preparing those when we get back." No sooner was he finished licking the sweet sauce from his fingers than he had to roll up the sleeping pad he'd used the night before. It was thin and lightweight, extremely durable, and more importantly, capable of providing somewhat solid back support in a pinch. He'd spent many nights in the field before.

Jansho had rolled up his sleeping pad and was about ready to leave by the time Taran was finished. Jansho looked at the shoulder piece carrying Xuen's image and mused aloud, "Heaven only knows what the hozen might do to Xuen's face if they ever got their long arms on it..." Taran shuddered in agreement; the hozen of the Jade Forest were wild (to say the least). They also had the tragic tendency to torment travelers passing through the area. They would never be stupid enough to attack a member of the Shado-Pan, but they could cause no small amount of trouble to civilians they caught unawares.

Taran sighed as he picked up the shoulder piece. "The hozen of the Jade Forest laugh at the rules of our society. I've heard that some have joined the Golden Lotus in the past, but it is rare indeed for one of them to leave all they know behind." Taran hefted the shoulderpad into position and felt it settle into place on his shoulder, as though it belonged there. It was the choice of the individual Shado-Pan warrior to wear the pauldron of Xuen and the traditional helmet of the order. Many among the Blackguard took both. "Do you know Lao Lang?" Jansho nodded. "He wears another shoulder plate to offset Xuen's visage."

"We don't make too much of a habit of wearing the tiger's head among the Wu Kao." Jansho observed as he settled his pack about his back. "It doesn't exactly aid our prowess in stealth and sabotage."

"True enough, it's not exactly the lightest burden in the world. But it is one that we choose to carry along with all the others." Taran hefted his pack aboard, settled the helmet atop his head, and looked to Jansho. "You are ready to leave, Jansho?"

"I am, Lord Zhu." Jansho replied.

They made their way through the old roads of the Jade Forest. In the past, Taran might have liked to stop at the local villages to see what was going on, and also see if any members of the Shado-Pan might have come to their homes here. They rode swiftly, the tigers keeping a good pace but not going so quickly that they exhausted themselves. Taran knew he was easily three hundred and twenty pounds, and even heavier with his gear on, and Jansho was slightly smaller. Fortunately, their tigers were used to carrying about the bulky Pandaren and all the equipment they might need.

* * *

Lord Zhu and Jansho had hoped to arrive in Honeydew Village sometime in the afternoon, hugging the western road near the coast. However, a rainstorm the night before had caused the road to become saturated, and as they'd progressed, the blazing sun had grown more merciless. What wasn't absorbed into the ground and trees went right back into the air, and hung just above the road. The tall bamboo stalks and great teakwood trees of the Western Jade Forest only protected them from a fraction of the sunlight. No tree could protect the two Shado-Pan from the suffocating humidity. Taran felt as though the scarf about his neck were suffocating him after a while, and loosened it accordingly. He itched at his neck as they arrived, feeling sweat dripping down his face. "We should have asked Gu to lend us his cloud serpent for the journey." Taran muttered to Jansho.

Jansho countered, "And miss all this fun of riding in the field, Lord Zhu?"

Taran barked a brief laugh. "It's been a while since I last did this, I'll admit." Patting the head of his riding tiger, he saw tiredness and thirst in its eyes. He sighted a small stream ahead of them, passing underneath a small bridge. "We'll let the tigers drink, and then continue on our way." The great riding tigers practically jumped into the streamwater trying to immerse their hot heads and take in as much as they could.

It was an unpleasant day for many things. The humidity had driven the mosquitoes, flies, and wasps of the region to the waters as well, looking for relief of their own. "At least the view is nice." Taran mused aloud as he looked towards where the stream dove off a steep cliff, becoming a wispy waterfall that would eventually reach the ocean. Jansho nodded his agreement and then looked to the riding tigers. They had sated their thirst in the stream water, and were now pawing at the ground restlessly. Without a word, both Taran and Jansho replaced the riding saddles, re-mounted, and were on their way once more.

After about three more miles, Taran sighted a distant plume of smoke. "Fire, and not one common to the Jade Forest's bonfires at that. It's...definitely unnatural."

Jansho also sighted the plume through the trees. "That's some thick, black, ugly smoke that doesn't come from a village's cooking fires or homes, Lord Zhu..."

"The battle between the outsiders must have reached its long hands to the village by now." Lord Zhu shook his head disgustedly. "We press onwards!"

The Shado-Pan lord and rogue doubled their pace, their tigers exerting themselves as they flew over the roads. Honeydew Village lay ahead of them.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTES: That took longer than I expected it would take...still, I hope that you enjoyed reading it and are looking forward to more. Nazgrim's introduction...will be most interesting.


	4. Honeydew Village, Part 1

HONEYDEW VILLAGE

AFTERNOON OF THE SECOND DAY

TARAN ZHU

The scents of injury, decay, and death all mixed into one particularly vile smell. Several dwellings had been destroyed by the fighting, and even now, the conflict raged in the air above. Taran wrinkled his nose at the scents of the outsiders; death was stamped upon their very beings. What they had come here for, he did not know, but he would find out very quickly. None of the outsiders present in the village were unharmed; they'd all been injured in some way or other. As for the villagers, some were dead, victims of the fighting. Others were injured. But while the outsiders didn't know what to make of the Lord of the Shado-Pan and the rogue who followed in his step, the residents of Honeydew Village were awestruck by his very presence. He heard their voices speaking praise. They thought the Shado-Pan had arrived to save them from the fighting.

If only they knew. There was an old saying that where Shado-Pan walked, a peaceful solution had usually just walked out the door. They were to fight surgically, with precision...with grief that life must be taken, that pain must be inflicted on others.

_Protect the innocent,_ Taran thought as he walked resolutely through the village. A burly elder walked up and bowed to him. "Lord Taran Zhu, we are most grateful that you have arrived here safely. I am Elder Kadao Muur, and I requested the mayor to ask for your help." The sounds of fighting in the distance were quite audible as they walked.

"I am glad to be here as well, Muur." Taran stated respectfully. "Where is the Mayor? And what are these outsiders?"

"The Mayor is helping the injured who've been quartered in the brewery, Lord Zhu." Muur informed him. "As for these outsiders, they are mostly members of the..." Muur's voice trailed off. "Well, they call themselves the 'Horde'."

Jansho walked up noiselessly. "The Horde?" Jansho's eyebrows indicated his suspicion.

Muur nodded. "They arrived early yesterday morning, and have been fighting some people from the 'Alliance' ever since." He pointed to a massive form that hung in the sky, high above the smoke. "That's their vessel..."

Taran squinted through the rising smoke to make out the ship. "An airship...but her commanding officer may have put her in a dangerous position." He turned to Muur and stated urgently, "Get your people clear of that ship. Do you know where is the commander of this...'Horde' is, Elder Muur?"

It was not Elder Muur that answered, but a young Pandaren woman wearing the tabard of the Order of the Cloud Serpent. She bowed. "Lord Zhu, I can take you to General Nazgrim at once. The Alliance that Nazgrim seeks to defeat has holed up in Thunder Hold. From what they..." She gestured to the injured Horde forces in the village, "have said, the General intends to take it with all deliberate force."

Taran's eyes narrowed. Clearly this Nazgrim was used to getting his way; his opponent was in tatters. But there was something about the Horde that made him extremely uneasy. The hate, the vitriol they bore towards the Alliance seemed to ooze forth from their very beings. His golden eyes surveyed the scene suspiciously. "If you are willing, I would have you take me to him at once, lady." He saluted in respect. The Order of the Cloud Serpent was not large, but its members were quite valiant and had served the Pandaren people for thousands of years. Now he needed to find this Nazgrim, and she could help him do it quickly and efficiently.

The woman from the Order of the Cloud Serpent bowed, and then placed her fingers to her teeth and let out a shrill whistle. Taran saw a distant form charge through the smoke over Honeydew Village; there was an audible whoosh, and a majestic auburn cloud serpent swept through the air. Circling twice over the village, the serpent silently came to rest in front of her. The woman whispered to the serpent, and with a strangely delicate sound, the serpent turned its head to her. She suddenly jumped onto its back and sat firmly on the cloud serpent's neck. "Come quickly, Lord Zhu." She beckoned, gesturing to the Lord of the Shado-Pan.

Taran beckoned to Jansho. Now he was glad to have the Rogue at his side. "Come along, Jansho, it seems we're heading into a war, whether we like it or not." Giving a look to Thunder Hold, he sighed. "Perhaps we may yet prevent a worse evil today."

The cloud serpent nudged upwards and then soared into the air, gliding towards Thunder Hold. A series of explosions tore the air apart, and as the serpent soared higher, the Horde airship evaporated in a cloud of debris, wood fragments, and rubbish. Taran shook his head disgustedly; that ship's death was sure to send wreckage all over the village. Her ordinance would only cause further injuries to the innocent. This insanity had to stop...and quickly.

The Cloud Serpent rider leaned back and shouted to Lord Zhu over the din of combat and explosions, "I'll make a quick drop, but be ready! Things are pretty hairy down in the Hold!" Taran didn't know what she meant at first, but then he understood. His hair stood on end as he felt an unusually intense sensation of negative emotion, undoubtedly coming from the outsiders below them. With a nod from the cloud serpent rider, he jumped away to Thunder Hold below.

Jansho followed suit, and Taran landed with a thud. There had been four outsiders in this part of the hold, a Pandaren and three outsiders that Taran did not know of. Two of the unfamiliar outsiders fell to the ground as Taran landed...and at that moment, a sha utterly overwhelmed the remaining outsider, coating their arms in roiling black clouds. "THEY ALL MUST DIE." The overwhelmed outsider snarled in a decidedly atypical low voice. The Alliance forces below were undoubtedly the motivation for the anger. The sha had found a very easy host.

Taran had little time to act. The infested outsider had to be the one the Serpent Rider had called 'Nazgrim', the one in charge of the Horde forces present. If Taran did nothing, Nazgrim's infestation would _easily_ spread to others. They might not have the guts to question his command, even though they could tell that he was overcome by something. They did not know what a sha was. But Taran had been trained in how to fight monsters since the passing of his brothers, and he was utterly confident in what he had to do. Taran centered himself, utterly calm, sure of his position in the entire universe...and lashed out at Nazgrim with a pure blast of chi.

The overwhelmed Nazgrim snarled and recoiled from Taran's attack. The Lord of the Shado-Pan closed the distance to him and snapped, "What sort of insanity is this, Nazgrim?!" The unfamiliar name caught in Taran's mouth; for a moment, Nazgrim paused, the sha in control of his body surely recognized the danger it faced in the Shado-Pan Lord. Nazgrim seemed to clench his fists to his chest and the sha 'clouds' about his arms suddenly thickened. Taran responded by throwing another chi blast, and the sha infesting Nazgrim responded by slashing with Nazgrim's coated arms. But the clouds weren't all the sha had at its disposal; unnatural long claws of pure black sliced the air, aimed at Taran Zhu. The Pandaren hastily sidestepped, avoiding the furious onslaught of the sha. He did so just in time, as a black kunai whipped through the air and buried itself in the sha-infested outsider's arm. 'Nazgrim' turned its attention to the source of that attack.

The distraction that Jansho had provided was invaluable. Taran Zhu stepped forward, swept his foot out and forced the sha-infested Nazgrim to stumble away. In the next moment, Taran whipped both legs up in a Rising Sun Kick. He'd gauged his opponent correctly, and much to Taran Zhu's satisfaction, both of his feet collided solidly with Nazgrim's head. With an unnatural groan, the outsider sagged to the ground, clearly dazed. The sha seemed to seethe out of Nazgrim's semiconscious form and dispersed into a half-dozen small haunting spirits that lingered about the Hold. Taran hastily took them out with chi blast after chi blast. Before his final chi blast could strike, the Pandaren that had been present when Nazgrim's transformation occurred suddenly stabbed the last sha haunt with a two-handed sword. Taran was surprised by her action, and tried to guess if she was from the mainland. A single glance told him that this Pandaren was not from Pandaria; her posture was very different, her arms swung more loosely and her pose was relaxed despite her sudden killing strike. Clearly, she was a warrior of some skill.

Uncertainty flickered in her brown eyes as she met Taran Zhu's gaze. But there was neither fear, nor hatred, nor anger in her expression, or in her mannerisms for that matter. "I'm sorry I didn't help earlier." She bowed respectfully. "I am Hui Chang, and while I do not know your name, clearly you are of great standing in the homeland. Are you a Lord?" Her dialect was not that of mainland Pandaren, rather, it was that of the denizens of the Wandering Isle.

She had introduced herself, and he responded in kind, with a respectful tone in his voice. "I am Taran Zhu, Lord of the Shado-Pan, Hui Chang. You are correct in your assessment." Her eyes widened. Clearly the Pandaren of the Wandering Isle knew of the Shado-Pan, even if they did not recognize what one looked like on sight.

"I am honored to meet you, Lord Zhu." Hui bowed reverently.

Nazgrim moaned and rose slowly to his feet. "You...bear-creature..." He addressed Taran, and the Shado-Pan Lord's shoulders rose in indignation. Had he _never_ encountered a male Pandaren before?

Hui merely rolled her eyes at the insult, making a gesture to Taran that she had a handle on the situation. "General, I believe that you should not call him that. This is Taran Zhu, Lord of the Shado-Pan, and he might well find something more substantial to kick you through in the future. He is Pandaren, just as I am." Taran nodded in appreciation. Clearly this Hui carried some weight with Nazgrim.

Nazgrim held his head woozily. "I apologize...Taran Zhu." He shook his head, as though trying to shake the sha from his mind as well. "But what kind of sorcery was that?"

Taran shook his head gravely. "Stranger, your own doubts, your worst emotions...they have been made manifest. Pandaria is not like whatever land you came from: it lives and breathes as surely as we do. You should have been more mindful of what kind of energy you carried with you..." The two bodyguards that had been knocked out by Taran's arrival suddenly came to. Seeing their commander so close to someone that they did not recognize triggered their alarm response and their weapons rose immediately towards Taran Zhu and Hui Chang.

Nazgrim did not like Taran's tone and his face took on a strange grimace, almost a smile, almost a threat display. "We bring only our honor and the desire to crush our enemies. Have your kind been aiding the Alliance?!" His tone grew more accusatory.

Hui put her head in both palms of her hands in disgust. She clearly understood something in Taran's words that Nazgrim did not. Taran responded coldly, "It is not our desire to get wrapped up in your bloodshed." Turning his head to the bodyguards, Taran added vehemently, "But if you want to make TWO enemies on this continent, by all means, have your men continue to hold those weapons against me."

Jansho seemed to appear out of nowhere, holding a kunai to the neck of either guard. "Lord Zhu, if these fools so much as twitched, I'd have their throats."

Taran smiled grimly under his facewrap, glad again to have Jansho covering his back. In truth, he could have handled this by himself...but two Shado-Pan were almost always more dangerous than one. Nazgrim backed down at once. "Stand down, men..." Both bodyguards uneasily lowered their weapons. Jansho's kunai cut only air with slight swooshing noises as he holstered both blades. The crisis was not yet over...but at least they weren't going to kill each other here and now.

* * *

GENERAL NAZGRIM

Nazgrim had been fighting in the service of the Horde for a good while. In all that time, he had never met anyone as unusual as the Shado-Pan. The rogue, Jansho something or other, cut a good act of playing sympathetic to the Horde in one breath while harshly criticizing them the next. "You have a strange concept of honor, General." Jansho stated aloud as they walked through the Thunder Hold to Honeydew Village. "One might almost think you were too afraid of your enemies to face them directly."

Before Nazgrim could retaliate, Hui offered, "The General's had a rough past few days. His command ship evaporated in a cloud of smoke, after all. The Alliance had an airbase nearby, and we didn't know about until it was too late."

"Your conflict has proven more destructive to the villagers than to the Alliance." Taran Zhu stated gruffly, his tone sour. "Every piece of unexploded ordinance that landed here is capable of maiming or killing a child, a father, a mother, a grandmother." He gave Nazgrim a sharp stare. "If you _truly_ want to make amends here, you will pick up after yourselves as any **reasonable** guest would." Something in Taran's voice told Nazgrim that this was not a mere suggestion.

He weighed the outcomes. He could, of course, ignore the Shado-Pan Lord's demand. However, every bomb that went off in coming days would only infuriate the locals, and with the Alliance in retreat, they would blame the Horde for their problems. Nazgrim sighed inwardly as he recognized the opportunity to blame the Alliance was long since lost. As the rather unusual party walked through Honeydew Village, Nazgrim saw undisguised resentment on the faces of the local Pandaren. They were not happy that their homes had become a battleground in the slightest, but they weren't hostile. Not yet, anyway. Nazgrim considered following Taran Zhu's directive. It would, of course, improve the Horde's standing in the eyes of the local populace, and having a good foothold here, in Pandaria, would allow the Horde a good strategic advantage in days to come. And that would be something that Garrosh would greatly appreciate... Honeydew Village would make a good resupply point for further expeditions into the unknown continent.

Nazgrim recognized quickly that it would be utterly impossible to maintain such a hold without support from the native Pandaren. The Alliance had done them no favors, but they would have gladly sat out the conflict but for the sudden arrival of _Hellscream's Fist_. Nazgrim's blood boiled momentarily as he considered what had happened to his command. He had miscalculated gravely; the airship should have been kept well away from the coast. They'd been too close to shore, and the Alliance commander had made him pay for his mistake. Nazgrim hoped that he would be able to make the Alliance commander pay in kind...

At last they arrived in the main plaza. Taran Zhu stood impassively between three elders of the village, his expression hidden by his facewrap and helmet. Sergeant Gorrok had survived the fighting, and he stood at Nazgrim's left side, while Hui Chang stood on his other side. Nazgrim felt that Hui was loyal to the Horde only to such an extent, and while she had been an exemplary warrior since arriving from the Wandering Isle, she was on a razor's edge. Who was she loyal to, in the end? If nothing else, the Pandaren were more inclined to trust her.

Mayor Honeydew opened the rather impromptu meeting by asking, "Should we allow the Horde to stay here? They have numerous wounded to tend to."

One of the elders, who Hui identified as Elder Honeypaw, snarled, "That will merely perpetuate the problem! They've _already_ brought destruction to our village! Mayor, you would have them bring more of it?"

Gorrok spoke up indignantly, "How can you remain neutral after watching us get blown out of the sky?" Nazgrim felt torn. On one hand, Gorrok was speaking as a true member of the Horde. On the other, he had chosen a battle he could not win. Nazgrim was strongly tempted to cuff him about the ear, but deigned not to. _We'll have to have a discussion about this later._

"We _never_ asked for your help for dealing with the Alliance. We asked Lord Zhu for that." Honeypaw responded acidly. "Instead, _**you**_ showed up uninvited and dropped bombs all over our farms and our homes. Your careless warfare has injured and killed many of our people. Now you have the gall to tell us we should _**support**_ you?!" Many of the villagers had gathered around and Nazgrim was dismayed to see that Honeypaw's feelings were the norm...not the exception. _Gorrok, you idiot,_ he thought to himself, _we can't afford this now._

Gorrok spoke up again before Nazgrim could silence him. "Those are the casualties of war!"

"A war we did not have until you arrived!" Honeypaw retaliated.

Nazgrim acted hastily, silencing Gorrok's reply with a harsh cuff to the ear. "Sergeant, do not _dare_ presume to speak for me." He stepped forward. "I, Nazgrim, speak for the Horde forces here. I..." He had difficulty admitting the next part, "I accept the blame for the destruction that has been caused here. We endangered your lives." He inclined his head. "If there is anything we can do to help you rebuild your village, name it and we shall do all we can."

The village elders were stunned into silence by Nazgrim's offer. Gorrok's idiocy had clearly set the bar so low that anything Nazgrim said would be acceptable. Gorrok, very much cowed, met Nazgrim's eyes for a moment. Nazgrim glared him into further quiet.

Mayor Honeydew stepped forward again. "We would have you dismantle or at least disarm the explosives and munitions that fell on the village and the outlying fields. We have already suffered because of them. We would rather not lose any children to your weaponry."

Nazgrim nodded. "I shall see that our engineers do this at once." He looked to Gorrok and gave him a forceful expression that said, _Make yourself useful, blast it! _Gorrok hastily made his way from the meeting, shoving his way through more villagers that had gathered behind the Horde representatives.

A female Pandaren, one of the villagers, spoke up then. "The local tigers are...far more aggressive than usual. Normally they steer clear of the village, but we've never seen so many before...and certainly not so close to the farmsteads." She looked beseechingly to Taran Zhu. "If you could take care of them..."

Taran nodded. "We'll see to it at once, madam." Looking to Jansho, he gave a pointed nod, and the Shado-Pan rogue proceeded to vanish from their midst.

Once Jansho had vanished, Taran Zhu spoke up gravely. "I would have you take your violence from here, General Nazgrim, but it is too late for that. You have _already_ brought your war to our shores. The very land itself will respond to your actions. It will surely respond to both your passions and your violence." He met Nazgrim's eyes and the general inadvertently took a step back. There was a blazing intensity in them that he could not remember even Garrosh Hellscream himself possessing... "I do not know what the ultimate consequences will be. Nobody does." He looked to Mayor Honeydew. "You may give these soldiers quarter at your discretion." Turning back to Nazgrim, Taran stated coldly. "But do _**not**_ assume that we are choosing a side in your war, Nazgrim. Your conflict appears to be little more than violence between competing factions. Your hatred will only make further evil spirits manifest from the land itself. We will not be caught up by your hatreds or your conflict. Your men will have to be more disciplined while they remain here, or their emotions will overrun our land."

Nazgrim bowed. "I shall see to that, Taran Zhu."

"The evil spirit that possessed you was called a Sha." Jansho suddenly reappeared and stated calmly, coolly. "They manifest when raw, negative emotions run rampant. Your anger fueled it. You might have thought you were angry at the Alliance for destroying your airship, and perhaps you were...but the Sha saw that. It used it, and it used you for a very poor servant indeed."

There was something that made Nazgrim's bones shiver in Jansho's and Taran Zhu's words. They were speaking the truth as they knew it. Of course they couldn't know the Horde's history, or the recent events with the Alliance. To the mainland Pandaren, far removed from the rest of Azeroth for thousands of years, this must seem like a petty conflict...factional violence, indeed. Then there was the matter of the Sha... It made Nazgrim's blood boil to have been used by such a thing in such a way. He would _not_ allow that to happen again.

Taran Zhu then spoke up once more. "I shall return here in a month's time, Nazgrim. If your people remain, and if their conduct is similar to what it was today...my Order shall see to it that you are removed from this land entirely." Taran's eyes narrowed to lethal slits. "Do you understand?"

Nazgrim nodded tightly. "I believe we have reached an understanding, Taran Zhu of the Shado-Pan." With that, he bowed slightly. Taran Zhu returned the gesture, and there was a gleam of satisfaction in those golden eyes. "Hui Chang, see to the wildlife problems at once." Nazgrim turned to her and ordered, "When you return, inform the Shado-Pan Lord."

Hui bowed respectfully as she always did and strode towards the woman who'd registered the complaint about the tigers. Nazgrim watched her depart, and mentally decided that she'd be of far better use winning the hearts and minds of the locals. They couldn't all be like the villagers...or like that Taran Zhu, for that matter. Nazgrim sighed as he looked on the village. He would have to find out how many had been lost aboard _Hellscream's Fist_. In days to come, the Horde would be able to establish a presence in the outlying region, if they couldn't build one in the village itself.

But the problems never seemed to stop. The hozen had caused his troops no small problems today, and Nazgrim would have to make sure they were pacified or at least intimidated. Further distraction would be unacceptable. The Alliance had been routed, allowing Nazgrim to rally the survivors of the battle. He would assess his true strength, and scout the outlying region. Charging in recklessly was not an option.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

Well, that took longer than expected. Hope you enjoyed my take on Nazgrim; he's loyal to Hellscream to a fault but he's clearly not stupid. I felt him more likely to understand just how vulnerable his own position is without the support of the local Pandaren, and I hope that translated well...


	5. Honeydew Village, Part 2

HONEYDEW VILLAGE

EVENING OF THE SECOND DAY

JANSHO GHOSTPAW

Jansho walked through the dusk-shrouded village, his mind on the events of the day. He'd spent the afternoon killing sha-infested tigers in the woods around Honeydew Village. It was a necessary task, but he'd done it with grief in his heart. The beasts were innocent, yet the sha overwhelmed them. They had driven them from their dens and used the poor beasts to inflict pain on other innocents today. Eventually he arrived in the square and found Taran Zhu there, sitting on the ground with Elder Muur nearby. With a salute, Jansho reported, "Lord Zhu, Hui and I found the cause of the tiger problems. Sha haunts have been infesting the poor beasts and driving them to seek out and attack the villagers."

Hui Chang spoke up, "There were many injured, but all those the tigers attacked should live. We were able to eliminate every sha-infested tiger in the region...and put their spirits to rest as well." She bowed her head, and Jansho did as well. Even the spirits of animals did not deserve to be enslaved by the sha in such a manner.

Taran's eyebrows rose beneath his helmet in surprise. Clearly he'd expected Jansho to help, but Hui's help had been freely given...and quite unexpected as a result. He nodded and sighed wearily. "Ah, so the conflict at the ruins is beginning to pollute the local wildlife? This is very troubling. I have never seen a reaction so intense before... Thank you, both of you, for protecting the village, but it is a tragedy that those poor animals had to die." He shifted his weight. "Have you seen Nazgrim recently?"

Jansho Ghostpaw answered him with a shake of his head, "I haven't seen him since the meeting in the square, Lord Zhu."

It was at that point that a bloodcurdling roar tore the air apart. "That sound came from Thunder Hold." Kagami, the Serpent Rider who'd given the Shado-Pan the ride to Thunder Hold, quaveringly stated.

"We'll investigate at once." Taran stood and hefted his two-handed war sword. "Jansho, you're with me."

Jansho had readied up at once, but to his surprise, Hui followed them as they strode to Thunder Hold. "I know Lord Zhu didn't ask you to come along, Hui Chang. But against a foe such as the sha, any help is appreciated." Jansho observed; a small smile on his face.

"I wouldn't say any of my training on the Wandering Isle prepared me for this, but then again, only real experience prepares you for certain things." Hui admitted. "They still die when you stab them...you just have to have to resolve to hit them first." She clenched the handle of her two-handed sword as if to reassure herself that it was still there.

Jansho nodded as he considered her words. Those who were unfamiliar with the capabilities of the sha could pose a greater risk to their own allies than they would to the actual problem at hand. Once they understood...they were partially fortified for the horrors that the sha could unleash. Taran stopped then, holding a hand up to indicate that they should pause. He sniffed the air and growled unhappily. "The outsiders returned to the Thunder Hold." He stated quietly, such that only they could hear. "More trouble surely waits inside." They continued, Lord Zhu taking the lead. Jansho wasn't one to shy away from a fight, even one against the sha, but he was very glad to have someone with Taran's resolve and expertise leading the way.

No sooner had they entered the Thunder Hold than they were forced to duck. Dark energies flowed wildly about the Hold; some outsiders wielded powerful attacks against the sha haunts and harbingers floating in the air. Some had already infested by it, and the attacks against the sha were becoming increasingly erratic and inaccurate. Taran snarled. "It is as I thought. Nazgrim must have felt he could rally survivors of the battle here. And their resentment has done this!" As a Sha Harbinger approached the newcomers to the struggle, the Lord of the Shado-Pan gathered a chi burst in an instant. With a quick gesture, Taran actually grabbed the Sha, using the chi burst to guard his hands, and he threw the sha to the ground. Stunned by the attack, the harbinger attempted to rise, only for Taran's sword to slice it apart into three different pieces. The 'body' of the sha seethed and eventually dissipated into dust.

Jansho readied his favored shuriken, one in either hand, and proceeded to drop into stealth. From here, he could sight a target and deliver his deadly burdens without having to worry about being sighted... He heard Taran shout to Hui, "I do not know the history of this war that the Horde and the Alliance fight, and I am not interested in it! This land responds to negative energy with negative energy of its own. The hatreds, doubt, and violence your commanders brought here...now they ooze out of Pandaria like blood from an open wound. Their actions have wrought havoc all over these ruins! Jansho and I will assist you against them, but you must remain strong!" The Lord of the Shado-Pan then threw himself into the fray, whirling in a Spinning Crane Kick as he attacked multiple Sha at once.

Jansho ducked an attack from his first mark, a growing Sha Harbinger and proceeded to toss one of his favored kunai into it. The Sha's retaliating volley was to strike with several tentacular appendages, but the wily Shado-Pan rogue was not where the Sha had directed its attack. A second kunai buried itself into the Sha, which hissed and writhed about furiously. Jansho jumped high as he heard footsteps charging from behind him. He'd been wise to do so, the moment he was clear, a heavy axe sliced through the air and clove the sha in two. He landed and saw his unexpected aid: General Nazgrim. "Well done, General." Jansho commented as he moved on to the next sha haunt. "Well done indeed." He hadn't expected Nazgrim's help, but given how it had been freely offered, he wouldn't turn it down.

"These things returned as I tried to rally my surviving warriors here." Nazgrim panted exhaustedly, clearly at his wit's end. "They've killed two of my men already!" He swung his axe again, cutting apart a Sha Haunt.

Jansho hastily picked up his kunai from the fallen Harbinger as it seethed dark energy back into the Hold. "Your friend acquits herself well." Jansho offered calmly as he took on the next Sha Haunt. Out of the corner of his eye, he admired Hui Chang's finesse as she took out two sha haunts in a matter of moments. "She fights as though accustomed to fighting darkness." He finished off the Haunt with a kunai thrust, only for another to take its place. "Impressive, considering she did not know..." He grunted and dodged another Harbinger's attack, picking up where he'd left off moments later, "...what Sha were before today." Another kunai thrust resulted in another fallen Sha Haunt. The smaller Sha were almost finished, but Jansho was forced to twist away as the same Harbinger that had interrupted him earlier attacked again. Moments later, three shuriken flew through the air and their flights ended both of the remaining Sha Haunts as they attempted to flee Taran Zhu. Only three Harbingers were left, and two wrangled with the Lord of the Shado-Pan at once. Nazgrim and Chang exchanged a glance and proceeded to charge one of the Harbingers fighting Taran Zhu...leaving Jansho to fight the last Harbinger by himself.

"One on one..." He muttered. "Let's see what you've got." A fearless grin crept across his face, and the veteran rogue unleashed a powerful Blackout Kick against the Harbinger. The Harbinger, slightly stunned by his opening attack, managed only a raking slice that caught one of Jansho's toes. Grimacing through the pain, he prepared another Shuriken Storm, twisting away once again. Jansho whirled around his target, forcing the Sha Harbinger to adjust as it released another attack. Instead of tentacles, a black energy bolt thrashed through the air, but Jansho's wild evasion caused it to miss. Four shuriken flew from Jansho's hands, and three struck home. The Harbinger wheezed, a startling sound that Jansho took as a good sign that he was doing damage, and it released three shadow bolts at once. Jansho's eyes widened as in that instant, he recognized what the Harbinger was attempting to do. If he moved right or left to dodge, he'd jump into the attacks. He leapt up again, avoiding all three attacks...

A powerful Tiger Palm Strike smashed the Harbinger as Jansho landed. Taran Zhu swept in, just as Nazgrim's huge war axe rent the air asunder. End over end, the axe spun through the air. It landed blade-first, and its flight ended...as did the Harbinger's continued existence. The axe had cloven it in two. The Harbinger faded into dark energies that settled into motes and dust. Nothing more... The fighting was over, for now, at least, and all the Sha had been defeated or smashed out of existence. Jansho calmed his mind as his adrenaline began to fade; the fight-or-flight instinct he felt would die down quicker if he did so. "It seems we have overcome the disbelief of the General's soldiers." Taran muttered darkly as he approached Jansho, rubbing his knuckles together. "Well, General, what happened?"

"I tried to rally the survivors here, and explain the situation to them." Nazgrim walked over to where his war axe rested, but he was not happy at having to justify himself to anyone. "A warlock then attempted to summon a fel spirit...and this happened." Nazgrim gestured helplessly.

Taran shook his head as Nazgrim hefted his axe. "Your soldiers lack discipline. That is the most important thing in such situations..." He looked to the fallen bodies of the Horde troops in the Hold. "They see that your flagship has been destroyed, and your men know that there is no easy way back for them. At worst, they might never see their homes again." He shrugged his great shoulders, and the Pauldron of Xuen that rested on his right shoulder seemed to breathe jade mist. "General, you have seen for yourself what the Sha are capable of. Knowing that...will you remain? And if so...what will happen to your people?"

* * *

MORNING OF THE THIRD DAY

TARAN ZHU

To say that Taran Zhu, Lord of the Shado-Pan, was frustrated, would have been a colossal understatement. He closed his eyes and held a hand to his helmet. "Jansho, what did we spend just about all of the past night telling General Nazgrim?" He asked the Shado-Pan rogue, both sitting on a bench in Honeydew Village.

Jansho answered him, "Lord Zhu, if my memory is accurate, you told him that he would be better off building a ship with the remnants of his old one, and sailing home."

Taran rubbed his eyes with both hands. "And what did he do instead?"

"It appears General Nazgrim searched relentlessly for survivors of the battle, and found the Alliance base nearby." Jansho supplied, rubbing his shoulders.

"All this, after I told General Nazgrim that you and I would not intervene on behalf of the Horde against the Alliance. We won't choose sides in their factional violence." Taran looked at Jansho and shrugged. "However, our order will not hesitate to fight the Sha wherever they manifested themselves."

"We had no shortage of enemies yesterday." Jansho observed coldly. "Nazgrim almost singlehandedly sparked a Sha attack by himself."

"Rallying the Horde's forces in the Thunder Hold..." Taran shook his head disgustedly. "And the resentment of his men promptly provided a perfect breeding ground for the Sha."

Hui Chang approached and bowed respectfully to both of them. Taran merely inclined his head, registering what she had to say. She made her report. "Well, that's six more troops seriously injured. But the Alliance is defeated or captured, and those they forced to work for them walk free today."

"Gathering a group of angry survivors in one place...that was an unwise move." Jansho barely registered Hui Chang's comment. "Nazgrim then unleashes another Sha outbreak by attacking the Alliance airbase." He looked to Hui. "I'm sorry, Hui. You did the right thing to set them free."

"You did the right thing by showing up when you did." Hui inclined her head and sat down in the path opposite them. The birds had returned, albeit hesitantly after the battle, and their songs filled the air. "Nazgrim nearly got himself killed."

"His ability to survive the consequences of his foolishness is most commendable." Taran snorted. "But the late Captain Doren..."

"He gave into his despair." Jansho spoke, and Hui looked down. "Lord Zhu, you felt it, yes?" Taran nodded, and Jansho continued. "Doren's corpse practically seethed with Sha energies."

"To hole up in the Den of Defiance was an interesting choice..." Hui looked up once more, and Taran explained. "In the days when our people were slaves of the Mogu, the Den of Defiance was a hiding place for escapees who fled the Mogu jade mines throughout the area."

"Now...it's contaminated by the Sha essence of Captain Doren's final moments." Jansho let loose a long breath. "I don't know the General's intentions, nor do I know his mind, but if he attempts to use that airbase, he will have nothing but trouble."

"Who will have nothing but trouble?" They turned almost as one to face General Nazgrim, who held a bandage to his wounded left shoulder. Doren had picked him up like a ragdoll in his Sha-empowered state and thrown the proud orc against the wall, inflicting serious damage to him.

Before Taran could speak, Jansho raised a hand respectfully, catching his Lord's eye. Taran nodded, and Jansho spoke, "I was saying...that if you were to attempt to use that place now, the Strongarm Airstrip?" Nazgrim nodded as he registered Jansho's words. "You _will_ come to regret it. The energies that Doren's final moments unleashed will take a good deal of work to contain."

Taran Zhu stepped in now. "I would need eight Shado-Pan mages or priests to cleanse that place, and even then, it would take a good while. If you want to preserve your men, you should avoid that place, as well as the Thunder Hold."

"Do you have recommendations for how I go about things in the _future_?" Nazgrim's face took on a strange rictus, not quite a sneer, not quite a smile.

Taran looked up. "I _do_. If you were to leave this place, you would not have to worry about the Sha. You would return to your people. having seen the most terrible enemy we face...and you would live to tell the story."

"The Warchief will..." Before Nazgrim could speak, Taran cut him off.

"We've saved your life twice in two _days_, Nazgrim. Perhaps you should be more farsighted in your aims." Taran snapped, his patience was long since spent on the orc, but his mind was resolute on what he had to say. "Before today, I had not seen a Sha manifest itself in such a way in a single individual," Pointing back towards the road that led to the burning airstrip and the Den of Defiance, Taran continued, "Since that man landed on our shores, he _lived_ in doubt. He doubted he could defeat you. And when he gave into those doubts, the Sha utterly overwhelmed him."

Hui Chang took up Doren's logs even as Taran remanded Nazgrim, and read over them quickly. "General, the Alliance had been here almost a month before we arrived. They fought a small Horde fleet and prevailed, but then were forced down here."

"Hui, were they able to get off any messages to their commanders elsewhere?" Nazgrim asked her hastily.

Hui turned the page and frowned. "I can't tell, General." Suddenly, Hui stood upright, her face betraying her utter shock. "Celestials..." She breathed.

"Is something the matter?" Taran leaned back, folding both arms over his chest.

"In the logs, the Alliance captain mentioned a ship, the _Skyseeker_..." Hui closed her eyes and focused. "That was the Alliance ship that crashed on the Wandering Isle. The Horde prisoners aboard that ship escaped after the crash... And when I talked to them, I became convinced to leave the Isle for the Horde."

Taran stood up then, shaking his head and smiling, despite himself. "And that touched off the chain of events that eventually brought you back to the homeland. Interesting..."

Hui looked up. "There weren't any Pandaren on that ship, Lord Zhu." She was respectful, using his title, a gesture that he appreciated.

"Thank goodness." Jansho stated coolly, standing up as well. "I don't know what to make of this 'Alliance', but their conduct here has been less than commendable."

"Their arrogance is palpable." Nazgrim snarled, but his tone changed as he saw that both Shado-Pan stood. "Surely you can see they must be opposed. They forced your own people to work against their will for their benefit. I might call that _slavery_."

Taran Zhu met his eyes and Nazgrim backed down. "**Perhaps**. But their 'enslavement' is ended now, because of your actions." He folded both arms again. "Our position stands, General Nazgrim. We will _not_ aid you against the Alliance, but neither will we aid _them_. Your actions will surely unleash the Sha, and you shall find Shado-Pan to oppose them. We will not choose a side of your conflict. I hope that is clear." He let loose a long breath. "The avalanche has already started, and it is too late to ask the pebbles to vote. That avalanche that you have unleashed with your initial actions...will have far-reaching ramifications for us and you as well. It may well overcome us all." He gave Nazgrim a cold glance. "I ask you to use your good judgment in the days ahead. For now...we must depart. Other outsiders have landed on the southern shores of the Jade Forest."

Nazgrim looked down disappointedly. "Could you tell me how to get there?"

Taran shook his head immediately. "That is out of the question, General. I will **not** enable further bloodshed on your part. You have acted unwisely thus far, and this land has a way of snuffing out those who have no knowledge of it." With a stern glance, he said, "I hope that you will remember what I said yesterday, Nazgrim. Have you faced a Shado-Pan Assault Team before?"

Nazgrim shook his head. Taran concluded with a dark chuckle, "I pray you _never_ do."

* * *

AFTERNOON OF THE THIRD DAY

JANSHO GHOSTPAW

Their riding tigers were ready, and their supplies gathered and ready to go, but Jansho Ghostpaw and Taran Zhu sat at a small table in Mayor Honeydew's house. They were finishing their lunch; Mayor Honeydew had felt indebted to the Shado-Pan, and they dared not spit in the face of his hospitality. "I'm sorry we couldn't do more, Mayor." Taran intoned quietly after he'd chewed the last dumpling. "But we have other places we must go."

Mayor Honeydew smiled helplessly and sat down, wringing his hands together. "But you will return in a month, Lord Zhu?"

"Yes, I will, and with a full Shado-Pan team." Taran Zhu leaned back in his chair. "We must disperse the Sha presences that were released in the Thunder Hold and the Den of Defiance, but Omnia are far better equipped to do so than we two. I _do_ hope that General Nazgrim isn't foolish enough to stick around and cause you any further problems."

"If he does, we'll still be in the area." Jansho observed as he slurped down the last noodles from his bowl. They weren't quite as good as the ones that Lao-Chin had made, but they were still good food...and they'd be in short supply on the road.

"We had one of our children take on the Trial of the Red Blossoms a good while back." Mayor Honeydew said quietly. Jansho looked rather surprised, and Mayor Honeydew quickly clarified. "Oh, I don't mean one of my children, but a child from the village did venture forth to take it on some fifty years back." His brow wrinkled in concentration. "Gu...Stormpaw, I believe. An unusual name, but his parents were anglers, from what I recall. They've moved on down the coast to Krasarang about a year or so." He chuckled. "They thought they'd find better fish to catch."

Jansho gave Taran Zhu a glance, and he saw that the Lord of the Shado-Pan was smiling. "I believe that Gu Stormpaw became none other than Master Gu Cloudstrike, Mayor. He is the head of the Shado-Pan Wardens, and the leader of the Cloudstrike Dojo."

Mayor Honeydew sat down, a smile creasing his face from ear to ear. "Is that right? Well, he's certainly done well for himself, if we're talking about the same person." There was an urgent rap at the Mayor's door, and he went to answer it. "Probably nothing to worry about..." He said nervously. "At least, I hope not. We have enough problems..."

He opened it, and there stood Hui Chang, holding a scroll of some sort. "What is the meaning of this?" Mayor Honeydew demanded, and Taran Zhu turned to the door.

Hui Chang handed the scroll to him. "General Nazgrim expresses his apologies for any casualties you suffered as a result of the fighting. He is moving his command post elsewhere...but he didn't say where. He wanted you to know that he would impose upon your hospitality no further, and he expresses his utmost appreciation for the help of the village's healers. They saved many who would not have lived otherwise." She bowed her head slightly. "He would have brought it himself, but..." She looked to Taran Zhu. "I came in his stead. I wished to speak to the Shado-Pan before I left as well."

Mayor Honeydew opened the door to allow her in. Hui bowed her head, and Taran and Jansho stood. "Lord Zhu, Jansho Ghostpaw...I wish that I had been of greater help against the Sha that first time." Hui began. "I...I felt useless. All that I had learned on the Wandering Isle from Shang Xi..." She bowed even further. "Nothing had prepared me for that."

"Few things ever will." Taran said quietly, with respect touching his voice. This was another unexpected gesture on Hui's part. "The Sha are our most implacable enemy. How would you fight something as intangible as doubt?"

Hui looked him in the eye. "I would say you are to fight it with your inmost resolve. That you never waver in your confidence..." She looked down. "I'm grateful you were there. As I was, I could not have taken on Nazgrim in such a state and lived. You..." She gulped and bowed again. "I owe you both so much. "

"You need not bow so much, Hui Chang." Taran Zhu said quietly, holding a hand forward as though to take her chin and lift it up. However, Hui looked up first, and Taran's hand dropped. "We among the Shado-Pan have committed our entire lives to defeating such foes. We do not do this because it wins us admiration...in fact, sometimes it wins us nothing but the scorn of those we have aided. Our conflicts with the Sha seldom end without casualties. We are sometimes the recipient of much anger from the relatives of those we could not help."

"No matter how hard you try, you can't save everyone." Hui shook her head. "I mean...you live your entire life like that? On a razor's edge, knowing that those you help can just as easily empower your enemies?" Her voice trailed off. "I'm glad there are people like you in the world, Taran Zhu."

"It is not the praise of others that we live for." Jansho pointed out, and Taran tipped his helmet in acknowledgement. "But the protection of the innocent, the service of those who need it most...that is what we fight for."

"I will remember you in my travels in the homeland." Hui bowed respectfully. "I... I hope we will meet again, but on better terms than how we met yesterday."

"You are leaving as well?" Jansho asked, stepping forwards.

"I'm the first member of my family to have set foot on the homeland in more than two hundred years." Hui observed with a smile on her face. "It would be a shame if I left without at least learning where they came from." She looked Jansho in the eye. "You're heading to the southern reaches of the Jade Forest?"

Taran cautioned her, "We won't be following the same route, I think."

"I understand." Hui nodded. "It's just that...there's someone from the Wandering Isle who took a different path than I did. They followed the Tushui Path and I believe they serve the Alliance. They might arrive in Pandaria as well..." She wrung her hands together. "If you run into them...can you pass along a message?" Hui's expression indicated this was for the ears of the Shado-Pan alone.

"I will do what I can." Jansho inclined his head.

A small smile crossed her face. "Tell Yang Cloudwalker that I arrived in Pandaria first."

Jansho chuckled. Was that some sort of game, to see which of them would see the homeland first? "I...shall do so if I see this person." He shook her hand. "I hope we shall meet again, Hui Chang."

Taran Zhu saluted Hui, clapping his fist to his palm loudly. "I hope...that you find the homeland amenable, Hui Chang. And that we do not have to cross blades, for that matter. There is wisdom in your step and bravery on your brow. Use them both." Hui shook his hand as well. "For now, it is farewell, wanderer from the Turtle." Both Taran and Jansho bowed to Mayor Honeydew. "Farewell, Mayor. May prosperity enter into the lives of those you look after."

Mayor Honeydew bowed so low, his chin nearly scraped the floor. "Thank you, Honored Shado-Pan."

Jansho and Taran left the house and found their riding tigers tugging restlessly at the grass. A rather bold young Pandaren male was playing with Qagaora's ears, and she sniffed disdainfully at his presence. Jansho's left eyebrow rose suspiciously. "I don't think you're supposed to do that, youngster."

The teenager stood up. He was just beginning to develop a thick stomach and his shoulders were broadening, indicating that he'd passed from childhood into adulthood. "My older sister says Shado-Pan Tigers only bite hozen." He pointed out, putting both hands in his shirt pockets. "But she's a big liar."

Jansho and Taran Zhu both smiled broadly. "Take care, young one." Taran offered after he mounted his great white riding tiger, ruffling the youth's right shoulder. "Take care of your family."

The young adult's eyes widened and he smiled from ear to ear as the Shado-Pan rode off into the distance. "Stay safe!" He called.

* * *

AN: Whew! That took a good long while...

But Honeydew Village has been saved and the Horde are on the move. In the next chapter...enter the Alliance. And who is Yang Cloudwalker?

Inspirations for this section: Babylon 5, and Kosh for the awesome Pebble/Avalanche comment. Matriarch Benezia of the original Mass Effect inspired the comment at the end of Taran's section (Have you faced an Asari commando unit before? Few humans have...)


	6. An Unpleasant Encounter and the Ox-Gate

EVENING OF THE THIRD DAY

TARAN ZHU

The gathering clouds had built into a full blown thunderstorm over the Jade Forest. Lightning flared brilliantly overhead, and twisting forks of astonishing brightness twisted like a many-tongued serpent against the looming clouds. The thunderclouds absorbed the disc of the sun by afternoon, and soon, the thunder contained within roared over the swaying bamboo stalks and high teak trees. Vast curtains of driving hail and water swept over the forest. The great howling winds of the storm twisted the branches of the trees this way and that, turning them over endlessly; snapping those that resisted but sweeping those that acquiesced in an endless phugoid cycle. Taran let a sigh of frustration escape his lips as he removed the facial scarf of the Shado-Pan. Ordinarily, he would not have done so, but now the scarlet fabric was soaked through with rainwater. The scarf was a hindrance now, not an asset.

They had been unable to avoid the thunderstorm entirely, of course. The trees helped a bit, but eventually, the steady downpour forced the Shado-Pan to seek shelter beneath the limbs of a gigantic teak tree. "We've passed the Hozen Village and crossed one of the major rivers in the area." Taran muttered to Jansho Ghostpaw, who rubbed at his saturated sleeves and leggings with both hands. "But we're at least a day away from Paw'don Village, and this weather doesn't help our cause at all."

Jansho eventually gave up on drying off. Their sheltering teak wasn't much of a place to take cover, but it was all they had. The western reaches of the Jade Forest weren't as heavily inhabited as the coasts, so there was little chance they'd find anyone with shelter to offer. "Lord Zhu, as unpleasant as the weather is, I'm glad to have accompanied you through it." He shivered slightly, and then let loose his own vexed sigh. "This weather seems intense for this season." Jansho observed, his deep green eyes closing in thought. "I don't suppose..." His thoughts trailed off.

Taran admitted that Jansho had a point. Winter was a season keenly felt by Kun-Lai, but otherwise ignored by the rest of Pandaria. The Jade Forest merely saw its rainfall increase, the Valley of the Four Winds was occasionally covered by light layers of snow, and the Krasarang Wilds were hot almost all year round. "I sometimes wonder if a snowfall in Krasarang might be cause for alarm." Taran chuckled, but something in Jansho's voiced thoughts gave him pause. The sha might not be the _only_ thing the outsiders were awakening.

Jansho laughed at Taran's jest, and it wasn't an uncomfortable laugh expected from one who feared his commander. Rather, it was a genuine belly-laugh that Pandaren were always capable of. "They don't give your wit enough credit, Lord Zhu." Jansho turned his head towards Taran from the drenched road and Taran saw the smile. The smile of a man unafraid of anything... Taran smiled a little himself. Jansho's expressions were contagious when he let down his own guard.

_ But what __**do**__ my people give me credit for, I wonder? _Taran thought, before dismissing that thought. _No, that is a blatant exercise of the ego. One that I will not indulge in... _His mind turned to the last day's events. According to the elders in Honeydew Village last night, there had been another intense thunderstorm the day before. Usually, they would have had at least an hour's notice before violent weather like that came upon the village. Not this time around...and Taran remembered that the roads had been soggy almost the entire way to the village from the south.

Jansho and he had gone back the way they came, but they had much further to go to Paw'don. As they'd left Honeydew in the Northeast, they'd made good progress. Up until the thunderstorm had swept in, that is. The driving rain and hail forced the two Shado-Pan to abandon the road, and their mounts rested now in shelter, their fur patterns concealing them in the darkness. For a moment, it seemed as though the rain was slackening, and just as Taran raised his hands to wipe off his brow and hair, he saw something quite large moving in the distance. It was quite imposing...and, if Taran's eyes were correct, extremely bad-tempered. His eyes narrowed. What would a single Zandalari be doing in the _western_ reaches of the Jade Forest? He exchanged a quick glance with Jansho, as well a quick nod and a whisper, "Zandalari war scout." Jansho's deep brown eyes closed tightly as the two Shado-Pan read each other's intent. Taran was good at concealing himself, but Jansho, being the rogue, was a master of stealth and was thus better at vanishing entirely.

Taran swept his facial scarf up and back into position. It clung to his neck and his nose, the clammy cloth sending a brief chill through his body. Wet or not, the scarlet cloth of the scarf would still be useful for concealing the white of his muzzle. As he drew closer, hidden by both the gathering gloom of the evening rainstorm, his suspicions were confirmed. There had been trolls among the Horde at Honeydew Village, but they had not truly reeked of arrogance. The same could never be said of the Zandalari. The war scout was walking along the path to the north, his shoulders high and his visage bearing an ugly expression of hate and confusion. It would only be a matter of time before he had sighted the Shado-Pan at this pace. Taran readied the two-handed sword that rested on his back, using the foliage for cover and shielding his eyes with his left hand, his right resting on the hilt of his sword. He was within fifteen yards of the Zandalari when the towering troll suddenly stopped and sniffed the air. Muttering something foul in the language of his people, the Zandalari war scout prepared to move along...just as Taran closed the distance. Suddenly, the troll whirled and the Zandalari snarled, "I see you!" Brandishing a massive hammer, the scout lunged towards the Lord of the Shado-Pan, swinging the hammer up and readying hastily.

Taran Zhu instinctively rolled to the right, ducking under the attack in the process, and wielded his two-handed sword. The sword swayed as Taran assumed his stance, both hands stabilizing the heavy blade. The Zandalari snarled hateful words in his own tongue, shifting his own weight from foot to foot. Taran stared his opponent down, ever patient...and the Zandalari lunged again, swinging the hammer in such a way that would prevent the Lord of the Shado-Pan from rolling away. Sometimes it was better to redirect force than to meet it head on. Taran did just that, feinting with the sword but suddenly meeting it. But that meeting was short; he pushed _with_ the Zandalari, not against it. Taken off guard and unable to step back in time, his foe toppled head over heels. As the Zandalari attempted to scrabble upright, it howled in pain for two reasons; Taran slashed the scout's left thigh, and three shuriken glinted in what little light remained, all embedded in the Zandalari's left hip. Jansho's shuriken storm had struck home, and Taran smiled under his scarf.

Hate and rage suffused the Zandalari's very being, and Taran jumped back as his opponent seemed to gather lightning about his hands. With a deafening clap, the thunder the Zandalari had summoned now smashed the ground in front of him as he brought both hands forward. Lightning flashed against the clouds above with sudden violence, and the heavens echoed the Zandalari's actions. When the cadence of the heavens faded, Taran Zhu was nowhere near his opponent. He fell into cover, and waited for his next opportunity to strike. Taran Zhu needed to needle his target, get under his skin. Angry opponents made mistakes that calm opponents did not. Now, the Shado-Pan was the hunting tiger. The Zandalari groaned and plucked at Jansho's shuriken in his hip, and looked about in utter confusion. He couldn't find Taran...but a blur of motion suddenly drew his attention away. Again, the Zandalari roared with agony as it turned to face the blur. This was coupled with the unnatural sound of grinding stone against hardened steel. Taran's eyes widened as he saw Jansho wheel in from behind the Zandalari, who spun about almost in place. The hammer and Jansho's favored kunai rang against each other again and again. The troll was bleeding now from both hips. Jansho clearly had landed another trio of shuriken, and the Zandalari snarled more agonized phrases of hatred as the rogue faced the war scout.

Taran had his opportunity as Jansho avoided another hammer strike. The scout swung his heavy hammer and missed Jansho again. Now, its back was to Taran Zhu. His steps as silent as the rainy ground would allow, Taran closed the distance rapidly, and jumped. With one hand, he seized the Zandalari's head from behind as he fell, toppling it over once again. The Zandalari attempted to roll, but Taran thwarted his efforts and forced the Zandalari onto his back. His weight pinned the troll's shoulder to the ground. Taran Zhu never gave the scout the time needed to recover. Their eyes met, and the Zandalari's face filled with horror as he realized his predicament. In an instant, the two-handed sword rose over his neck, and Taran cut the war scout's throat swiftly. The Zandalari's eyes bulged, and then with a rattling gurgle, the life ebbed from the war scout's body.

Taran felt the adrenaline rush of battle fade as he stood over his fallen foe. The rain dripped down his helmet as his panting slackened and he began to breathe normally. This was violence, yes, but it was necessary. The Zandalari were truly dangerous to any Pandaren, even those among the Shado-Pan, and they could not be allowed to go about Pandaria unhindered. "Where one Zandalari is found, another is usually nearby." He murmured to Jansho, folding the dead troll's arms over his chest. It was a form of respect, and Taran was painfully aware that it was one that would never have been afforded had their positions been reversed.

Jansho nodded. "Are you well, Lord Zhu?"

"I believe I am uninjured." Taran responded. "How are you?"

"I am alert, awake, and whole of mind and body," Jansho answered him with a casual shrug, "which is _more_ than I can say for him." With a click, Jansho's kunai fit into their sheaths on his belt.

Taran nodded as Jansho cleaned his kunai with a small cloth. "Now, I have _another_ reason to order some of our people to safeguard this region. Zandalari were known to haunt the northeast coast of the Jade Forest when their empire reigned, and they inflicted much grief upon our people in days of old." He let loose a long breath, and remembered a quote of his grandfather's. He whispered it aloud, "We are not to allow today's problems to become the nightmares that haunt our people in days ahead."

Jansho plucked the shuriken from the dead Zandalari, cleaning them off with care so as not to poke his own fingers. "True enough, Lord Zhu." His brow knit with thought as the rain slackened for good. Only occasional drops fell, the driving curtains of rain having passed towards the rest of the continent. "He sounded like he was lost. I don't know the Zandalari tongue, but he did _not_ act as one familiar with these roads." Suddenly, Jansho noticed a glint of light in the Zandalari's pockets. He grunted and rummaged through them, finding the object of his search after a moment. As he removed the object, even in the twilight, Taran could see Jansho's dark face turn almost white with shock. Taran leaned in closer and Jansho handed it to him, his hands shaking slightly.

He recognized it even in the dim light, and Taran's eyes grew wide with horror. Jansho had handed him the clasp of a Shado-Pan veteran's belt. The image of Xuen's face, set in gold alloy, adorned the front of the clasp. What scraps of fabric remained on the other side were _saturated_ with Pandaren blood. From what Taran could tell, the belt had been fairly new. Its owner had met an untimely demise, all too likely at the hands of this very Zandalari... Sorrowfully, Taran turned it over in his hands. Jansho shook his head as he stood to his feet, and the color slowly returned to his face. "I don't know who this was taken from, but at least we prevented this monster from claiming other lives." Jansho said coldly, his shuriken now clean and returned to his pack.

Taran nodded and took off his helmet. The intonation for a fallen member of the Shado-Pan came to his mind all too easily...and with no small amount of grief in his heart. He removed the helmet from his head and wrung out the face wrap to shed the rainwater that had soaked it through. After a moment, Taran closed his golden eyes, bowed his head, and spoke solemnly, "Where one Shado-Pan falls, another shall take their place." The falling rains seemed to slacken as he spoke, and Jansho bowed his head reverently. "We do not know what your fate was, but we know that you fell. You _were_ one of us. We shall see you again in a far better life to come." His task completed, Taran took the helmet and put it back on.

Jansho was silent. Taran placed the belt clasp in his pack and turned to him. "The rain has let up, and I've got my second wind. Shall we ride through the night and see where we are come morning, Ghostpaw?"

Jansho bowed. "I shall follow you for as long as I am needed, Lord Zhu."

Taran smiled slightly, and they returned to their riding tigers. The great cats were restless as the Shado-Pan approached, and Taran's white tiger snarled as it smelled the Zandalari blood crusting along the edge of his sword. Taran hastily whipped out a cleaning cloth and set to work taking that off; he didn't want the blade sticking to his clothes, after all. Eventually, they readied up, and soon the feet of their riding tigers pounded smoothly along the road to the south. They left behind them the body of the Zandalari war scout, but before leaving, the two Shado-Pan removed the corpse from the path and placed it in a grove. The thunder echoed in the distance as the Shado-Pan rode onwards.

* * *

ELSEWHERE IN THE LAND OF MISTS

THE OX-GATE BETWEEN TOWNLONG STEPPES AND KUN-LAI SUMMIT

LAO-CHIN THE IRON BELLY

Lao-Chin the Iron Belly had never expected to find himself in the presence of three Shado-Masters of the Shado-Pan, and certainly not all at the same time. Shado-Masters commanded a considerable amount of knowledge of the teachings of the order, and both Zhiyao and Zhen radiated calm. Shado-Master Chong had manned this part of the Serpent's Spine for the last month without aid, and now that his relief had arrived, Chong was able to sleep.

The snowstorm billowed about the great wall of the Serpent's Spine. Near the Ox-Gate, the small area they'd chosen for refuge was beset by a spat of weather that had been stirred to action over the mountains of Kun-Lai. The Shado-Pan had taken refuge in a gatehouse, and Chong wasn't the only one sleeping. Confined indoors by the wintry blast, Shado-Masters Zhiyao and Zhen sat at a small table, both enwrapped in a match of mahjong. No, Lao-Chin corrected himself, it was a full-scale war, and it was not one that favored Zhiyao in the long run. The losing Shado-Master's brow was knit with concentration, his focus directed to the game. Sweat dripped down his brow as well, and he blinked as he contemplated his move.

Other fighters of the Shado-Pan lay on sleeping pads, all attempting to rest up for when the weather ceased. Before the sudden snowstorm, it had actually been rather warm out. The shift was devastating and not welcome, but it kept the Yaungol away from the Ox-Gate as well. After having met the yaungol in battle time and again the past week, they were now too exhausted to face weather like this. A single Shado-Pan remained outside, and she was one well-suited for this. Snow Blossom, a very powerful Omnia mage, had insisted that at least one of them remain. Lao-Chin recalled that where others had balked, she alone had remained out of doors. A frost mage, she would be better suited for it than any of them.

Another move by Zhiyao provoked a smile from Zhen, and Zhiyao grew increasingly frustrated. The game was not favoring him. Zhen's low chuckling didn't help his temperament, and Zhiyao locked eyes with Lao-Chin. After a moment, he commanded, "Iron Belly, go make sure that Snow Blossom's still alive out there."

Lao-Chin nodded, grabbing a thick cloak with a fur collar from the gatehouse as he did so. Normally, he would have gone with just the pants, but he wasn't foolish enough to tempt fate. And certainly not with these wintry gales that continued to howl outside of the gatehouse... Reluctantly, Lao-Chin opened the gatehouse door to the side of the wall, and immediately gripped it tightly as the wind swept in and threatened to sweep his footing away. His eyes narrowed; the ground was covered by at least a foot of snow right now. He trudged out to the ladder that led up to the wall...

He clambered up, gripping the wooden rungs tightly amidst the swirling winds. To his surprise, he saw that Snow Blossom remained atop the wall. She was unharmed by the cold or by any attack, and she smiled as he approached. "Lao-Chin!" She greeted him warmly. "Have you come to keep me company?"

"Actually, I came to see if you were alive first." Lao-Chin sat down next to her, and she smiled brilliantly. Her teeth could illuminate even the hostile weather of a Kun-Lai blizzard. "And then I didn't know what to do afterwards." He admitted, drawing the cloak tightly to his body. Not even his thick belly and layers of insulating fat were enough to truly keep Lao-Chin warm in weather like this.

Snow Blossom's hair was tied back with two pins holding it in a steady knot. "I appreciate that they sent someone up after all. But I haven't seen any Yaungol yet." She added with a small smile. "I don't think they can tolerate this weather, and they don't have the big bellies that you and our other warriors do." She glanced at Lao-Chin's rather expansive gut and smiled again.

"Heaven knows the giant insects certainly can't handle this." Lao-Chin rumbled in agreement. "Small mercies."

"Indeed." Snow Blossom looked out towards Townlong Steppes. "We do have enough problems out here _without_ the mantid besieging us as well." Her eyes narrowed suddenly. "Have we heard anything from the Monastery?" She inquired respectfully. Of all the Omnia, Snow Blossom had always treated him with dignity and kindness. The same couldn't be said of others from her discipline; Lao-Chin knew full well that Ban Bearheart thought him an idiot.

"Not since we arrived, Snow Blossom." Lao-Chin responded in the negative. "Is no news good news, though?"

Snow Blossom let loose a long icy breath. "Perhaps." She shook off the gathering snowflakes from her shoulders. "I'm glad that Zhiyao and Zhen are here. Those two can handle almost anything that comes our way. But...the others need a good long respite. Time in the Monastery would do the more tired souls here wonders."

"Exhausted Shado-Pan seldom make good soldiers." Lao-Chin agreed, citing the old adage of the order. "But Lord Zhu's not in the Monastery right now. Even if we _could_ get a message away..."

Snow Blossom nodded as she understood his meaning. "...he wouldn't be able to act on it." She sighed as another gust swept over the battlements of the Serpent's Spine, and both she and Lao-Chin braced themselves against it. She let loose a breath in vexation after the battering ram of wind had passed. "I pity that man. He does so much for our sake."

"Taran Zhu?" Lao-Chin asked, and Snow Blossom nodded in agreement.

"I wonder if the only mark he will leave upon this impossibly _stubborn_ order was that he tried to do so much at once, only to be beset by ten disasters at the same time. He just can't see everything through personally. Heaven knows his father _tried_." Snow Blossom sighed wearily. "Jet Zhu, Celestials grant him peace, certainly left this world a bitter man." Snow Blossom blinked suddenly. "But the role of leadership suits Lord Taran Zhu quite well."

There was silence between them. "Do you...love him?" Lao-Chin asked her in a respectful tone, shifting the cloak on his back.

"I...honestly..." Her voice trailed off as she gathered her thoughts. "I really haven't thought about it long enough to call it that." Snow Blossom admitted, rubbing her arms with both hands to keep warm. "Perhaps in a very different time, in a very different life..." She mused aloud, and sighed dismissively, as though the matter were truly settled, before chuckling. "Lao-Chin, if Yalia Sagewhisper could hear me now, she'd say that such thoughts were for cubs alone." With another chuckle, Snow Blossom added, "And she'd say that I was a fool to think of such things at my age. I can see her now!"

Lao-Chin said nothing. Snow Blossom clearly had kept these things to herself. For a moment, Snow Blossom said nothing as well, but she then saw him shivering and smiled affably, speaking in her calm voice, "Thanks for keeping me company, Lao-Chin, but I truly am well-built to handle this. Those with a mastery of ice often are." She smiled again. "I _will_ check in later. And I will let those inside know the moment it is safe to return to this frozen landscape."

"I'll be back later." Lao-Chin offered, but as he headed back to the ladder down to the lower levels, he swore he could hear Snow Blossom's chuckling.

When he returned to the gatehouse, he saw that the mahjong game had been cleared. Zhiyao paced about the far side, his proud head slumped in defeat and his eyebrows expressing unhappiness. Shado-Master Zhen, on the other hand, had a grin from ear to ear, and he smiled even wider as Lao-Chin put up his now soggy cloak. "Iron Belly! Does Snow Blossom yet live?"

"She still draws breath." Lao-Chin responded with a small smile. "And she'd be perfectly content to stay out there until the weather clears."

Zhen's expression soured. "If it ever clears..." He sat down at the table. "Zhiyao, the bad sport that he is, tried to deny me total victory." Leaning in towards Lao-Chin, who sat as well, Zhen whispered, "It was like he was _trying_ to lose instead."

Zhiyao, who paced on the other side of the room, rolled his eyes and walked over. "I underestimated Zhen's cunning. For a Battlemaster, he's certainly quick to take advantage of anything."

"One would think a Rogue would understand such things!" Zhen reached up and thumped Zhiyao's back with a hearty laugh. "Iron Belly, fancy a game?"

"No thanks." Lao-Chin smiled. "I'd rather _keep_ my dignity."

"Ah well." Zhen sighed. "Such is life. Perhaps Brother Shan would be willing?" He pointed to a rather weary-eyed monk. Ishagar Shan leaned against the gatehouse wall, his eyes droopy with sleep, but he perked up a bit at the mention of his name.

Shan somberly replied, "I think we've all had enough mahjong for today..." His eyes fluttered to a close even as he spoke, and soon he slumped next to two other monks, all snoring softly.

Zhen guffawed and smiled helplessly. "Ah well. People's champion today..."

"People's _loser_ on the morrow..." Zhiyao muttered.

"Why...Is that a challenge, Zhiyao?" Zhen winked at Lao-Chin.

"It might be, Zhen." Zhiyao answered him smartly, with a cunning smile of his own.

For his part, Lao-Chin was content to keep watch over his fellows as the night set in, and even the Shado-Masters succumbed to sleep. When Ishagar Shan awoke, he took over the watch, allowing Lao-Chin the Iron Belly to sleep as well. As slumber claimed him, he made out the form of Snow Blossom as she placed another cloak over his back. She was smiling...and her smile reminded him so much of his own mother. His thoughts before slumber claimed him as well were of Snow Blossom and Taran Zhu. It did her no good at all to pine over the Lord of the Shado-Pan, especially if he didn't return her affections. When he woke tomorrow, he would continue to listen. Any good brewmaster did just that, after all...but in an order that valued secrecy, stealth, and keeping one's emotions contained, that was a difficult task.

* * *

Author's Notes: Whew! That was quite a long chapter, and I had some corrections to make from the first draft to the second. I ultimately plan on putting these on my personal tumblr, but not until later.

If the name Brother Shan sounds familiar, it _is!_ Shadows of the Horde has given me some ideas, but I ultimately will be illuminating the light on the darkness of what were the Shado-Pan doing after the Alliance and Horde landed. I might go back and write from the perspectives of the OC's, depending on how well this goes over.

If you have any questions about this work, or corrections you would advise, please do not hesitate to PM me. My inbox is always open.


	7. On Matters Relating to Taoshi and Nurong

MORNING OF THE FOURTH DAY

THE VALLEY OF THE FOUR WINDS

HAWKMASTER NURONG

Nurong, the Leader of the Wu Kao discipline of the Shado-Pan, regretted at times that he had only one good eye to show for his service. On the other hand, he'd adapted marvelously to having just a single eye. Many among the Wu Kao claimed that Nurong saw better with one than any of his people saw with two. Now, his one good eye surveyed the Serpent's Spine suspiciously. The missing Shado-Pan patrol had vanished near Stoneplow Village, leaving behind no weapons and no traces that they had ever been there. Loon Mai remained in the village, ever more anxious for news of his people...and with good reason. Nurong sighed as Taoshi continued surveying the wall from the top down, looking to either side. The Dread Wastes were on the one side, the Valley of the Four Winds on the other...and Nurong had never felt the touch of worry that he felt now. But he wasn't concerned with the mantid. They weren't adept at shadowy strikes. They tended to announce their presence...

Nurong had survived many battles, and had lost his right eye in one of them. Given what he was seeing...or rather, what he wasn't finding, Nurong worried now that the patrol had been taken during the night. But who would take three young Shado-Pan? He mentally checked off the likely threats. Mantid didn't deal in prisoners; they preferred instead to kill their victims outright. The yaungol wouldn't have come this far south. Were the sha somehow responsible? He didn't think that was too likely. That left a single option, and it chilled Nurong to his core to think of it: mogu. The mogu had very likely seized the Shado-Pan patrol in the night and taken them away. But what purpose would be served?

He was glad they weren't the only ones on the scene. A single member of the Golden Lotus and his hunting tiger had joined in the search, and surveyed the grounds near the Serpent's Spine. Che Wildwalker and his tiger Kyo moved almost in unison, surveying the grasses for any sign. Nurong's own hawk, Whitefeather, soared above, tasked with searching for (in all likelihood) the bodies of the patrol.

Suddenly, Taoshi signaled from atop the wall almost at the same instant as Che Wildwalker and Kyo suddenly bolted off into the underbrush. Nurong strode over to Taoshi and called out, "What have you found, Taoshi?"

He could make out Taoshi shaking her head, and then suddenly, she broke out her riding kite. Catching the wind, Taoshi's kite gracefully banked downwards and she landed it without any fuss. She folded up the kite as Nurong drew closer. "I caught sight of quilen tracks, and they lead away to the jungles in the southeast."

Nurong remembered that territory. "That's mostly unsettled territory. Assuming you're right and they are quilen tracks..." He bared his teeth unhappily. "Mogu. This fairly stinks of them." He worried even more for the lives of the three Shado-Pan lost in this area.

Nodded gravely, and suggested, "Che should accompany us." She shrugged her shoulders.

"Agreed." Nurong nodded his head deeply, causing his grey topknot to bob as well. "Che!" He called out. The Golden Lotus hunter made no reply. Nurong sighed and gestured for Taoshi to follow where Che had gone. "Perhaps he found the trail before we did." Suddenly, Whitefeather descended as a true hunting hawk would; the graceful raptor dove down into the jungle. From what Nurong could tell, she'd dove ahead of where Che had disappeared. Nurong readied his crossbow and prepared for action; Whitefeather would only dive if she had sighted an enemy. She was trained too well to do otherwise. "Onwards!"

Taoshi bowed and readied herself. Moments later, the Wu Kao Assassin vanished into thin air. Nurong's crossbow was down as the burly Wu Kao Hawkmaster made his way through the trees, grimacing as branches caught his topknot or his face, but never making a sound of pain. To do so would alert any enemy to his presence. Suddenly, he made out the sounds of snapping jaws in the distance... _Definitely quilen,_ Nurong thought, _and a huge one at that...I hope Che can handle himself until I get there..._

There was a distinct clunking sound of heavy stone striking the ground, followed by a ghastly crunch. As Nurong homed in the sounds, a long wheezing gasp sloughed through the air. It didn't take Nurong very long to find Che, and his one good eye widened as he saw the Golden Lotus hunter. Che was unharmed and crouched over the stone-dead form of a quilen in a small copse. Kyo's teeth were still good, but incredibly, the tiger had bitten through the quilen's neck. Kyo spat out stone fragments, cleaning the teeth with a long raspy tongue and grimacing in a way that tigers seemed to possess. Clearly Kyo wanted nothing further to do with the dead quilen... Whitefeather trilled from above and suddenly landed on a tree branch that dipped low, right next to Nurong's head and within his field of vision. With a hand, he stroked her stomach feathers, and she cooed quietly in acknowledgement, jumping onto his covered arm protector a moment later. Nurong whistled: the quilen was huge, even by the standards of the species. "This was quite a nasty one to deal with indeed...sorry I didn't get here sooner, but, nevertheless..." He smiled, "very nicely done indeed, Che Wildwalker." Kyo yowled and rolled about in the dust, provoking Che to snap his fingers to get the tiger back upright.

"Thank you, Nurong." Che smiled from ear to ear. "Coming from one as skilled as yourself, that is high praise indeed."

Nurong whispered another command to Whitefeather, and soon, the hunting hawk took off once more, soaring high into the air. With a swooshing sound, Taoshi reappeared, panting slightly. "I see you found that." Taoshi murmured as she tried to catch her breath.

"Yes, indeed." Nurong nodded and pointed above slightly. "I sent Whitefeather to find where the older tracks led off to."

"I believe I know." Taoshi caught her breath at last and spoke quickly. "There's a small cave within this grove. I..." Her voice trailed off. "I made out a trail as though a heavy figure had been dragged. They would have been unconscious too..." She shook her head, and finally stated, "And they would have been Pandaren. Saurok wouldn't have gone so quietly, nor would the mogu have bothered to capture them."

Che's expressive eyebrows rose with concern. "That means that your men were very likely taken by the mogu who had these quilen guards, and dragged into the cave. But for what?" He paced, his expression worried.

"I don't know, but we'd better find out." Nurong sighed and readied the crossbow. "Taoshi, lead on."

Taoshi nodded, and the rather unusual party set forth.

* * *

The small cave that Taoshi had found had several small mogu statues lined up very neatly outside of its entrance. All of these were small figurines of mogu emperors past, offerings, perhaps, to their ancestors. Nurong didn't know for certain, but he wasn't particularly interested. He was, however, feeling his neck hair stand on end in apprehension. His one good eye squinted into the darkness as Taoshi led him. Suddenly, light filled the cave, as Taoshi had taken up a resin-soaked torch. She struck a flint she had handy to it, and at once, the torch coughed to life...and illuminated a sorry scene for the Shado-Pan to see.

Three young male Pandaren, their wrists bound and their mouths frozen open in horror, lay slumped against the far wall of the cavern. At the very least, their eyes were closed. The expressions they bore were enough to send chills into even Hawkmaster Nurong's thick gut. The venerable leader of the Wu Kao knelt in the dust near the three bodies and sorrowfully confirmed the worst. No pulse, no trace of life remained in them. A small dab where a knife had been driven slightly into each of the fallen trio's necks confirmed another suspicion Nurong held. "Whichever mogu did this saw fit to capture the souls of our brothers, Taoshi."

"They'll use their spirits...later. For whatever reason, they could not do so here." Taoshi's voice was firm, but emotion gathered within it. Nurong cast a glance at her. Her expression was implacable, she had no tears to shed.

"From what I know of the mogu, these poor souls are going to be implanted into Jade or Terra Cotta Soldiers." Nurong finished checking the fallen. He respectfully gathered the belts of the fallen Shado-Pan, unclasping the belt buckles and pulling them gently off their owners. Taoshi was no stranger to death, and in fact, was almost unsurpassed when it came to inflicting it. Perhaps that was one reason why she was hardened to seeing it, even in those she cared for. Nurong shook his head quickly. It didn't work. The bodies remained, still, lifeless, drained of their very souls.

"They were stripped of their other gear and weapons." Taoshi murmured. "Which makes sense."

"The mogu didn't want them waking up from their naptime and resisting." Nurong agreed sadly. He stood to his feet, the three belts in his hand. "We'll see to it that they receive a proper burial later. But right now, we have to report this to Loon Mai...and then eventually to Lord Zhu."

Taoshi nodded her head in agreement. There was sorrow in her voice as they left the cave, "I...I trained the youngest of them. Kagao Mistpaw..." Nurong's good eye closed in grief. He recognized that name, an up-and-comer among the Wu Kao. To know that he was gone sent pangs of mourning right through his heart. Taoshi picked up again. "I taught him how to throw his shuriken properly. To see that he suffered such a fate..." She shook her head. "Hawkmaster." She finished by addressing Nurong with utmost respect. He noted that whatever thoughts of vengeance Taoshi held in her mind went unvoiced. Nurong nodded tightly; what went unsaid was often just as important as what was said. Vengeance was not a thought encouraged by the Shado-Pan, even in circumstances as horrible as the loss of three of their own.

They emerged from the cave and into the light of the gathering morning. A small rain squall was building over the distant bulk of the Serpent's Spine. Che Wildwalker strode up with Kyo, and he bowed to Nurong. "I have nothing new to report, Hawkmaster Nurong." Seeing the crestfallen expression on Taoshi's face, Che immediately picked up on what happened. His head hung in shared sympathy. "I'm..." He shook his head again. "Did they make it?"

"They did not." Taoshi responded in a voice that was impossibly calm considering what they'd just seen. "The mogu _took_ them, Che Wildwalker."

Che nodded in understanding, his eyebrows drooped with grief. "I see." Che sighed helplessly. "You have my utmost condolences for their loss." The Golden Lotus hunter bowed respectfully, and Taoshi and Nurong responded in kind.

The rain would soon sweep over the cave, and Nurong made out with his good eye the approaching curtains of driving water. This was indeed a sad farewell to their fallen comrades... The worst part of this was that the mogu had captured and imprisoned the souls of the fallen, after driving them from their bodies. These unfortunate three weren't even truly _dead_. Rather, they would be pitted against other Pandaren later; trapped inside a stone prison, forced to beat on the walls of their confinement as their new 'hands' tortured and murdered in the service of their ancient enemy...

The rather unusual group made its way back to Stoneplow Village. Nurong and Taoshi braced themselves as the waters of the heavens began to fall around them. Che walked through it, as though it were perfectly normal. Whitefeather descended from the heavens hastily, squawking an unpleasant greeting as she flew to Nurong's side. She could detect his sorrow at the loss of their comrades, though, and rather than insisting that he take her on his arm, she flew to the village ahead. Nurong reflected that Stoneplow had definitely seen better days as they approached; the harvest this year was probably going to be the worst since the drought sixteen years ago. It was still a pivotal point along the wall of the Serpent's Spine and demanded Shado-Pan vigilance. Loon Mai strode out of one of the lodgings that he'd made into an unofficial command center. He approached the group, his helmet dripping rainwater already. Nurong addressed him simply, plainly, "Loon Mai."

Loon Mai picked up on what Nurong had seen without having to be told of it. "Is it as you feared, Hawkmaster?"

"I'm afraid so." Nurong nodded somberly. The water dripped into his eyepatch and irritated the skin around it, provoking him to rub at it with one hand. He couldn't weep, not from **that** eye, anyway.

Taoshi spoke up now. "Loon Mai, we're not sure how the mogu jumped the patrol. But no more lone patrols can be allowed to go about."

"Agreed." Loon Mai sucked in a breath and coughed suddenly. "We're now even shorter on manpower than I'd like for this season. That much is for certain." He looked to Nurong. "You found their gear?"

Nurong responded by taking the three belts of the fallen Shado-Pan and handing them to Loon Mai. "I will report what happened to Lord Zhu when I return to the Monastery. We'll have to be on the lookout for three more stone soldiers in the days ahead." He shook his head disgustedly. "It would almost be better if the mantid had killed them outright, Loon Mai."

Taoshi's expression fell. "I don't want to agree with that sentiment, Hawkmaster, but at least an instant death would be more merciful than this."

Loon Mai nodded. "Thank you both for responding as quickly as you did. I only wish..." His voice trailed off.

Che looked off to the northeast, towards the distant Vale of Eternal Blossoms, his eyebrows furrowed with sorrow but his expression otherwise implacable. He finally offered his hand to both Nurong and Taoshi, and shook their hands vigorously. When he came to Loon Mai, he hugged him instead. "I will be sure to keep an eye out for Mogu on my way back to the Vale." Che sighed once more. "I'm glad I was able to help the Shado-Pan. I hope that the next time it will be under far better circumstances."

"As do we." Nurong clapped a fist to his palm in the traditional salute. "Farewell for now, Che Wildwalker. Celestials guide your footsteps."

As Che and Kyo strode away to the northeast, Che repeated the blessing. "May they guide yours as well, Wu Kao."

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTES: A bit of a short chapter, but I had to resolve what happened to Taoshi and Nurong, especially given how they'll be key players in parts ahead. Lord Zhu is still running around the Jade Forest in the meantime, and he will return in the next chapter. The Alliance gets its proper introduction in the 8th Act/Chapter/Part/Whatever You Would Call It.

I'll definitely admit that this part was inspired by events in _Vol'jin: Shadows of the Horde._


	8. Paw'don Village, Part 1

EARLY AFTERNOON OF THE FOURTH DAY

THE SOUTHERN REACHES OF THE JADE FOREST

JANSHO GHOSTPAW

The trees along the direct route to Paw'don Village still dripped water, but the road itself was fortunately somewhat dry as Jansho and Taran Zhu's riding tigers raced down it. In the distance, the salty haze of the sea air hung...or at least, that was what it looked like. Suddenly, thick black smoke began to rise even as Taran and Jansho approached. "Have we arrived too late to prevent _two_ disasters from coming on our people?" Taran grunted unhappily and pushed his mount to an even faster pace. Jansho gripped Qagaora's reins even tighter, and the riding tiger responded to his urgency.

The scene that greeted them at Paw'don was one of utter chaos. It almost made the destruction at Honeydew Village look benign by comparison. Several buildings blazed merrily as Pandaren bustled about the streets in makeshift fire brigades, attempting to combat the flames. Taran's eyes narrowed with cold rage; Jansho could make out the barely concealed fury blazing in his yellow eyes. Jansho himsel wondered why the outsiders were so inherently destructive...were they so blind that they couldn't see the innocents in the crosshairs, or did they simply not _care_? There was no admiration on the faces of the villagers of Paw'don for the Shado-Pan, merely shock at the state of affairs in the village. A few recognized the Shado-Pan tigers and uniforms, but none offered them aid. They had greater priorities for now.

The view to sea was chaotic. Several vessels blazed merrily, while a huge airship loomed in the distance. Gunfire between the ships was tailing off as the vessels with red sails began to burn and eventually sink. Jansho made them out from a distance, and recognized the standards of the Alliance and the Horde. The flags of the burning ships tended to be Horde. The Alliance was clearly winning the battle, and he had no idea of what to make of them. But clearly, the fighting had not been contained to the shore; a huge dockyard facility extended out into the ocean and even now, fighting continued on it. Eventually, the two Shado-Pan arrived in the village square. A younger male Pandaren of the city guard bustled up to them, holding up his hand and panting from his hasty journey. "By the Celestials, Shado-Pan at last!"

Taran nodded, his helmet shifting a bit. "Your eyes have not deceived you. I am Taran Zhu, Lord of the Shado-Pan. Guardsman, what is the situation in the village...aside from the fires?" Jansho noted that Taran had chosen the traditional way of addressing someone unfamiliar, something that had not translated to the Horde outsiders.

The burly guard, before answering, took out a vial of water and hastily gulped down a mouthful. Jansho eyed the guard; that might not be water after all... "We had outsiders arrive here about three weeks ago, Lord Zhu." The guard answered finally, his voice calming as he spoke. "They claimed to be part of a Horde, and that their needs took precedence over ours." The guard shook his head unhappily. "They only got more difficult to deal with, and they started to take what was not theirs." He cast an eye out to the orchards, where small fires had already started to burn. "The Horde 'peons' started cutting down our village's apple trees, just to make fortifications for themselves and extend the pier."

Jansho nodded somberly. "And in doing so, they attack the village's very livelihood and the source of its well-being." He prepared to get off of his riding tiger. "We'll have to stop them from doing so..."

"Obviously." Taran muttered darkly. "Even now, the Horde is consumed by their damnable struggle." The Lord of the Shado-Pan shook his head most unhappily.

In that moment, the screams of battle in the harbor suddenly rose to a crescendo. Jansho turned his head just as the entire scene glowed impossibly white. Then there was sudden darkness...and a gigantic shockwave rent the air apart, the blast wave roaring like a possessed tiger over the landscape. The distance must have been at least three miles between the ship and shore, but the blast wave of the explosion hit them all so quickly that the Shado-Pan, the guard, and the villagers of Paw'don had no time to react. Jansho, caught between dismounting and being in his saddle, was thrown into the air as his tiger reared in alarm. He heard an alarmed grunt, as Taran Zhu was barely able to keep his own riding tiger under control. The world pitched away, and the ground swiftly rose to meet Jansho's skull. Brilliant stars burst in his vision. The world went dark for several moments, and when it returned, it was bizarre. Images stretched impossibly beyond the horizon, the ground seemed to twist and undulate beneath his very feet...

Jansho's eyes were dazzled as he tried to stand upright following his fall. His vision cleared momentarily, and he blinked at the ghastly scene in the harbor. The explosion's light had faded in an instant, but a massive smoke cloud now loomed above a destroyed Horde vessel. Ugly gouts of red flame shot up from what little remained of the vessel's superstructure into the air before fizzling. Jansho staggered, partially from the aftershock of the explosion, partially from the horror of what he saw. The vessel had split amidships; the crew that had attempted to flee the warship had to have been killed instantly by the sheer force of the explosion. "Celestials!" Jansho Ghostpaw shouted in dismay as he regained his feet. The explosion had been so colossal that it had damaged the flying Alliance ship and several other Horde vessels. The Alliance airship now began to descend to a lower altitude, smoke streaming from its port side. Qagaora moaned and lurched upright as well, her manner woozy.

The guard that the two Shado-Pan had been speaking with lay dazed on the ground, his eyes wide with shock. Jansho's walking was unstable; the explosion had clearly done something to his inner ear, and that threw off his balance as though he'd had seven mugs of Lao-Chin's Liquid Courage without a break. "Are you...all right?" He asked the stunned guard.

The young male nodded, and his eyes were glassy. "We'll have to...get you to a healer..." Jansho Ghostpaw muttered.

Jansho felt a heavy ringing in his ears, as well as that unfamiliar tingling sensation on the back of his neck, something that he'd not felt since...since Honeydew Village, when they'd intercepted the sha-possessed General Nazgrim. "Lord Zhu?" He asked. "Lord Zhu?!" He asked again, growing worried.

Taran suddenly appeared at his right, holding Jansho steady from his mount with an outstretched hand. "Easy, Ghostpaw, easy does it. I'm all right."

"I...I feel the sha." Jansho felt sick to his stomach. What in Shaohao's name had done this to him?! He'd eviscerated Zandalari and seen their guts strewn out before him, he'd taken the heads off of yaungol...why was he so unstable now from an _explosion_?

"I feel their presence growing as well." Taran confirmed in a calm voice, before suggesting in an utterly placid tone, "Jansho, you should lie down and stay still. If there's a healer down there, I will find them and bring them to you."

"You might...need me." Jansho insisted as his legs collapsed under him.

"We shall see." Taran said quietly in a sad tone. "I will do what must be done, and prevent a worse evil from occurring this day. You are not in fit condition to fight. Rest. I will return."

Jansho Ghostpaw didn't find that idea very comforting. Willingly or unwillingly, he obeyed the command of the Lord of the Shado-Pan and lay still on the grass, covering his eyes with both hands. The image of the exploding Horde ship was planted in his brain as surely as the day he saw his murdered friends, dead at the hands of the Mogu.

* * *

TARAN ZHU

Taran had been slightly further away from the explosion than Jansho had, but not by much, and he hadn't been caught while attempting to dismount. The shockwave of the explosion still rang in his ears, and his tiger mount was staggering more than he felt comfortable with. As he rode towards the pier, navigating around bodies of the fallen, he squashed his fury again. The outsiders had brought the travesty of war with them, and now, his people were suffering on account of it.

They would suffer more if the land picked up on the conflict, though. If the Sha awakened on account of this battle, the Pandaren here were _not_ prepared for such an occurrence. Not when their homes still burned. He tried to home in on the source of the sha presence that Jansho had alerted him to, and soon found it. The source of the sha presence was a robed orc, cloaked by heavy robes at the very end of the pier. _I hope I can stop this sha from manifesting at all, and if fortune is on my side, I might just be able to... _Taran thought as he dismounted; he'd arrived at the pier at last and didn't want his weary, explosion-addled tiger going into the ocean. That would make things _exceptionally_ problematic.

Taran Zhu ran down the pier, passing a young male Pandaren with a reddish-brown beard and robes that were clearly not of Pandaren make. _Another Pandaren from the Wandering Isle here, and on the other side of the war? _Taran dismissed the thought after a moment, but the young male followed him. Taran ignored him for now; it mattered not if he was followed. It only mattered that he was not stopped from intercepting the Sha. There was a sudden roaring sound from ahead, and dark magic warped the air. The orc that the sha presence had been embedded in had vanished. "A warlock?" Taran murmured aloud, slowing to a walk as he rounded another bend and approached the end of the pier. He'd been wrong; the sha wasn't centered in the orc, rather, it was still present in a person here, right this very moment! A very tall figure with unusual purplish hair stood, holding a device of some sort. Taran could make out the figure's conversation as he approached stealthily.

The young male that had shadowed him did not attack, but rather, slowed down and came within five feet of Taran Zhu. Taran turned to him; perhaps he could find answers. "Young one, who are you? And who is that at the end of the pier?"

The young Pandaren's mouth dropped open, and despite his obvious haste to speak, he was still quite well-spoken. "That is Rell Nightwind, one of the leaders of the Alliance assault. And I am...Kuang Cloudwalker, of the Wandering Isle."

"Taran Zhu, of the Shado-Pan." Taran introduced himself briefly, with no ceremony.

That last name rang a bell in Taran's mind, but before he could say anything further, he felt the sha presence spike. 'Rell' suddenly spoke loudly into his mysterious device. "Admiral, I think they mean to surrender! They're not armed – they're just trying not to drown!" Taran caught sight of about three dozen orcs, most of which flailed about in the waters, desperately trying for the pier.

A harsh voice, clearly female, answered him, "And you think they won't hesitate to strangle you with their bare hands?! GUN THEM DOWN!" The woman demanded, her voice becoming hostile. Even if Rell had given the order himself, it hardly mattered now. At the command of their admiral, several of the Alliance troopers on the pier aimed their weapons at the orcs below and began shooting them down. As the agonized cries of drowning and death reached him, Taran closed his eyes tightly. There were too many of the Alliance troops between his position and Rell's for him to act just yet.

"No...this isn't right." Rell insisted. "This...Admiral, this is a _**massacre**_. They were unarmed..." Taran's eyes opened wide as the sha presence amplified a thousand fold. Now that Rell's doubts were voiced, they gathered to him, clung to him. However many men and women of the Alliance were between him and Rell, the Shado-Pan Lord had no choice now. Taran Zhu sprang into motion as dark clouds of doubt, despair, and anger swirled about Rell Nightwind, coating his arms and torso and blanching the color from his face and hair.

"_**Perhaps they deserved to die**_." Rell's voice took on an unnatural tone. Like Nazgrim, he had no chance to defend himself as Taran Zhu's Flying Serpent Kick landed solidly with Rell's jaw and knocked him backwards, almost into the water. But impossibly, the tall Rell gripped the closest support pole and held on. "_**SHADO-PAN! I shall enjoy taking you**_!" The Sha that had manifested itself in Rell snarled as it drew itself upright again. Taran cursed mentally; he had little room to maneuver in this tight place and no backup: Jansho was injured on the shore. He'd have to resolve this quickly...and decisively.

"I don't think so." Taran responded, drawing his war sword. The sha-infested Rell leapt at him, slashing the air where Taran stood in wide arcs to prevent him from sidestepping. Taran rolled underneath, and 'Rell' landed awkwardly, but still turned...just as a monk's staff swept out of nowhere and smacked the tall outsider in the jaw. Before Rell could retaliate against the unexpected attacker, Taran jumped in and smashed Rell over the head with the hilt of his war sword. Rell at once sagged to the wooden deck, dazed or out cold entirely. Taran looked before he leapt backwards, a wise decision considering that eight Sha Haunts suddenly sprang from Rell's dazed form. The war sword of Taran Zhu hummed through the air again and again. Taran did not stop attacking the undulating forms of doubt until he had sliced up each and every single one of the Sha present. He finally turned to thank who had assisted him against Rell with that staff strike, and saw that it was Kuang Cloudwalker. Kuang's hands were clasped together in a salute. Taran responded in kind, but his expression was grim.

"I...what was that just now, sir?" Kuang asked.

Instead of answering him, Taran heard Rell groan as he awakened. His patience for outsiders who gave into their passions long since spent in Honeydew Village, Taran Zhu snapped at Rell as the gangly outsider rose to his feet uncertainly. "You beast! What sort of madness is this?!"

Rell shook his head as though he were a child trying to wake from an unpleasant dream. "I'm...I don't..." Taran Zhu suddenly saw that every Alliance weapon save Kuang's was directed at him. Rell hastily realized the situation and barked out, "MEN, STAND DOWN! This is one of the natives." To their credit, the Alliance soldiers obeyed at once.

Rell seemed to get his bearings. "We are from the Alliance, and we mean you no harm." Taran reflected that for one who had just fallen to the sha, he was strangely insistent on the benign nature of Alliance activities today. "But...could you tell me what that shadow was that you drew out of me?"

Taran sighed disgustedly. "This is not the place to explain, stranger. I shall give you the short explanation: your own doubts were made manifest, as a consequence of your actions. And also as a consequence for the orders of those who are blinded by hatred..." He very much wished the Alliance admiral who'd authorized that massacre was present. This was something _she_ deserved to hear as well. Whether she _wanted_ to hear it or not was quite immaterial.

Rell seemed baffled. "You...don't _understand_. We're fighting a war, here..."

Taran smiled, but the expression was chilling and Rell took a step back. "Oh, I understand _all_ too well...outsider from beyond the land of mists." He stepped closer to Rell. "I have eyes. I have seen the nature of your conflict for myself. It has touched upon my homeland _already_. I will tell you that Pandaria is not like whatever land you set out from. It lives and breathes, and it responds to sickness and war as a person's body responds to an illness." Turning to the Alliance troops on the pier, Taran stated icily, "You were not careful when it came to the energies that you brought here. And now we shall all bear the consequences of them." He turned back to Rell Nightwind. "I will explain more in the village. Have you any healers?"

Rell nodded, but his eyes still somewhat dazed. "Yes, we do."

"Then perhaps you can set to work _proving_ that you are indeed on a mission of mercy at once." Taran Zhu intoned coldly. "Your conflict endangered the village." Pointing to the smoke that rose from Paw'don, he shook his head gravely. "Even now, they fight to keep it intact. They have many wounded." He met Rell's eyes solidly, and the tall male did not look away. "Rest assured, your healers, your medics...they will _not_ want for work this day."

* * *

PAW'DON VILLAGE

NIGHT OF THE FOURTH DAY

Two male Pandaren wearing Alliance tabards had borne the unconscious Jansho Ghostpaw to the dwelling of Soraka, Paw'don's best doctor. They had done so under the watchful eye of Taran Zhu. Now, Taran's golden eyes looked over the injured rogue. Ghostpaw lay on a thick mattress, his eyes covered by a cold, dark scarlet cloth. Jansho's hands were folded peacefully over his heavy stomach which rose and fell regularly. Taran felt ill at ease over what had happened to him. A Shado-Pan veteran was seldom thrown from his tiger, but Jansho had suffered a concussion when Qagaora reared after the explosion in the harbor. Taran reflected that his own tiger had barely kept things together then, and he was fortunate _not_ to be in a similar position.

A voice said darkly, _He wouldn't be injured if he hadn't come with you_. Taran swatted that thought away. Jansho had _chosen_ to come here with him, and Taran would not refuse someone who willingly offered himself in such a task. It had been his choice, but this was an unfortunate and unforeseen consequence of that choice. The Wu Kao rogue had awoken once, but he had yelled in pain. Soraka, the village's best doctor, had hastily put a compress over Jansho's head bruise, which was swollen still, hours after his fall, and given him a small dose of painkilling opium. The milk of the poppy, Taran bitterly recalled, could mask some pain, but it was _still_ there. Jansho would have to deal with it when he awoke for good. For now, there was a bump the size of the Jade Serpent on his left brow, but it was settling as cold cloths covered it.

"You were right, Jansho." Taran murmured, finally growing tired of standing. He chose to sit on a wicker chair near the rogue. Resting his left hand on Jansho's folded arms, the Lord of the Shado-Pan said quietly, "I _could_ have used your help with the Alliance commander."

Taran felt as though someone had entered the room, and he was correct. Kuang Cloudwalker stood in the door of the main room, his dignified dark features contemplative of the scene, but his expression neutral. "I wanted to check in on him." Kuang offered quietly.

Taran said nothing, but gestured to another wicker chair. Kuang walked over and sat down. "Jansho Ghostpaw was with me when we encountered the Horde and the Alliance for the first time." Taran finally spoke. "He didn't know what to make of your side then. I wonder if he would speak favorably of the Alliance after today..."

Kuang nodded. "I would apologize to him myself, as soon as he awakens. Even if it wasn't my shot that blew up the Horde vessel and caused his injury, I still bear some responsibility for his state." He attempted to meet Taran's eyes, and after a moment, they locked gazes. What Taran saw in Kuang's eyes was...strange. The first conclusion that Taran reached was that Kuang was quite unafraid. The second was that this was clearly someone who had chosen his path after a good deal of reflection. _He is without doubt a wary follower of the Tushui path,_ Taran thought, _and he walks a fine balance between being impetuous and being indecisive. Not a purist, which means that he maintains a good balance along his own road, _Taran concluded. _Perhaps he can be trusted._

"Perhaps, Kuang Cloudwalker..." Taran considered aloud. "Perhaps no one is to blame. Perhaps the war is to blame. But you have not known war your whole life, young one." Taran assumed that last part; it was possible that Kuang was within ten years of Taran's age, but there was something in those steel-grey eyes that told the Shado-Pan Lord that Kuang was quite a deal younger than he was. "Why do **you** fight?"

Kuang met Taran's eyes again. "I fight because I honor the sacrifices of those who have fallen on the path I walk. I survive where others are destroyed, and I must learn from their failings. When I took the trials of Shang Xi, I succeeded in every respect imaginable." Kuang looked to Jansho, and held a hand up, pausing. "Yet...it took me a good while to find my balance. I still struggle to find it. But it is my struggle, and it is my _choice_ to walk this path."

"Well-reasoned," Taran stated approvingly, "if only the others among the Alliance were as sure as themselves as you are." Taran concluded coldly, "Today, you saw them doubt their own _cause_, and it ended in near-disaster."

"Their doubts...they are what manifested in the harbor." Kuang hadn't known the full details, but what Taran Zhu had said clicked for him now.

"Exactly." Taran confirmed as Jansho suddenly rolled onto his side, facing him. His expression remained peaceful. Taran smiled softly underneath his facial scarf and continued, "Your Rell Nightwind...he _knew_ it wasn't the right thing to do, that this 'sky-admiral' had made a horrific mistake by preempting him, ordering the Horde troops to be killed. But he doubted himself inwardly, and he could not resolve them. You were there." Kuang looked down and nodded gravely. "He thought that perhaps they _deserved_ to die in such a fashion."

Kuang followed along, nodding in contemplation. "And the doubts emerged and took hold of him."

Taran nodded sagely, removing his hand from Jansho's. "The physical manifestations of emotions such as doubt and anger are known as 'sha' in Pandaria. I do not know the state of affairs on the Wandering Isle, but I think that we would have known a long time ago if they were a threat to the Great Turtle."

"They aren't." Kuang confirmed with a sad shake of his head. "My parents and some of the elders on Shen-zin Su spoke of evil spirits, but...they did that to stop us from misbehaving."

Taran smiled, the image of Pandaren cubs being remonstrated by their parents about the dangers of evil spirits and attitudes _was_ a cultural universal. "Here, the stories have much _sharper_ teeth. Pandaria makes negative emotions manifest themselves in unusual ways. Intense negative emotions are just what a Sha would want to thrive. Anger, despair, doubt, fear, hatred, violence...these are all generated by war." Taran leaned forward in his chair and ran through the list of vices, all of which were the major Sha in Pandaria. "Let us say that you become angry because your opponent eludes you, or has the upper hand and you can do little against them. You then despair when defeat seems inevitable. You doubt you can overcome your enemy's strengths and your own weaknesses. You fear the possibility of betrayal, death, or worse. Eventually, the enemy becomes an 'other', a form of life so alien that you hate it merely for existing. And with that hatred, you will use the most violent ends imaginable until nothing remains between you and victory."

Kuang shivered in his seat and shifted in his silken robes. "You just described the events of the last few days in a few sentences." He mused quietly.

"Perhaps I have merely described the whispers within your own heart, Kuang Cloudwalker." Taran Zhu stated. "My order walks a delicate balance between all of those elements. We must make sure they do not rise up so as to threaten the innocent."

"Small wonder why you argued so vehemently with Rell for the Alliance to leave." Kuang stated aloud, folding his hands and leaning forward. "Would you tell me of your order, Taran Zhu? I must confess I know very little about the Shado-Pan." He shrugged helplessly. "Your order wasn't exactly something that was spoken of on the Wandering Isle. Most of us wondered if we'd _ever_ see land beyond the Turtle. To stand here now, in the land of my ancestors..." He sighed. "It's a great deal to take in."

Taran chuckled. "If that is what you want, then I shall tell you of my order, and of our calling, Kuang. But be sure that you are ready to listen for a good while. It is a long story indeed..."

Kuang smiled, his steel-grey eyes lighting up as Taran Zhu told him of the Shado-Pan. All through the night, Taran spoke and Kuang's eyes widened, he asked questions where he could not follow, and they spoke until the moon had risen fully over Paw'don. Finally, though, the curtains of night fell upon Kuang's mind and he fell asleep. For his part, Taran Zhu watched over both Jansho and Kuang until the first light of the new day arrived. Eventually Taran acquiesced to sleep. When Soraka returned to change out Jansho's bandages, she placed a blanket over the slumbering Lord of the Shado-Pan.


	9. Paw'don Village, Part 2

EARLY AFTERNOON OF THE FIFTH DAY

PAW'DON VILLAGE

JANSHO GHOSTPAW

The Wu Kao rogue awoke slowly, his skull still throbbing from the day before. Reluctantly, Jansho opened his eyes, only to encounter a solid, itchy screen of dull red obscuring his vision. Fortunately, his eyes no longer ached as they had the previous night. He gently removed the cloth from his face...

There was a gentle tut-tutting by a somewhat familiar male Pandaren voice. "Not so fast, Shado-Pan...unless you want to wake up with a headache as great as the Turtle." Jansho paused unwillingly. Thick, brown-furred hands suddenly eased the cloth up and away. "Can you see without pain?" The voice asked again.

Jansho blinked. In truth, he could see, but the world was a tad blurry. There was a dull ache at the back of his mind, and also in his eyes. But his vision was restored, and even if it was fuzzy, he could see again. "I can."

"Good. Taran Zhu will be glad to hear that." The voice informed him in a rather pleased tone. Jansho finally made out the speaker, a young male Pandaren with steel-gray eyes and a bushy reddish-brown beard stretching across his chin. There was something about his voice continued to bother Jansho...the Wu Kao rogue tried to place where he knew it from.

But then something in the outsider's voice reached Jansho's brain. _Taran Zhu? _Immediately, Jansho attempted to swing his legs out from the bed and stand up. "Taran Zhu? Where is he?" He asked urgently. His legs did as he commanded, but his body felt sluggish.

His guest chuckled and sat down at one of the wicker chairs. "Don't worry; he's still in the village and very much alive. We spoke at length last night. He thinks quite highly of you."

"That's good." Jansho murmured as he checked himself over. The leather gauntlets of the Shado-Pan remained on his arms, and his favored black kunai were still tucked in their sheaths on his belt. His shuriken were still folded away. The traditional blue leather leggings remained, but his boots were gone. A quick glance near the door told him where they were, both were clean...which meant that someone else had likely tended to them as he slept. The sluggishness from his head wound (at least, he assumed it was a head wound and nothing more serious) was wearing off, his mind awakened further. "Jansho Ghostpaw, of the Shado-Pan," he introduced himself, "I'm not sure I know you, but..." Something _else_ registered from the guest's earlier speech. "Wait...you addressed me as Shado-Pan, yet you speak like an outsider. How do _you_ know what I am?"

His guest smiled disarmingly. "As I said, I listened to Lord Taran Zhu speak of your order last night. I know that you are Jansho, and if you are confused by my speech, it's probably because you were asleep when I spoke with him. I am Kuang Cloudwalker." He bowed his head towards Jansho, but made a concerned face as Jansho suddenly held up a hand and coughed twice, loudly.

Jansho shook his head, catching the faint taste of long-since spent opium in the back of his mouth. "There was poppy milk in the medicine?" Jansho asked, slightly disturbed. He knew just how hard it was to shake an addiction to the pain-soothing juice of that flower.

"Yes. Soraka told me that she only used a little; she didn't want to get you addicted." Kuang answered him with a confident nod. "I...I would like to apologize any role I had in your injury. I might not have been the one directly responsible for the destruction of the Horde ship, but I still feel...somehow responsible for it."

"No apology is necessary." Jansho said with a wave of his hand. "I do appreciate the gesture, however. As for Soraka...that was very considerate of her." Jansho murmured, stretching his arms as a ragged yawn escaped his chest. He shook his head again, causing his sideburns to swing back and forth. "I wish I'd heard more of your conversation with Lord Zhu. I'm certain it was informative."

"It was." Kuang nodded again, causing his reddish-brown beard to bob a little. "He said that you had encountered the Horde in the north..."

"We did." Jansho's answer was hesitant.

"Pardon my asking, but...did you encounter any Pandaren from the Wandering Isle there?" Kuang asked in a very humble tone.

Jansho was even more hesitant to answer. He did not know if anyone else was listening in on this conversation, having lain between slumber and unconsciousness for several hours on end. "Why do you ask, Kuang?"

Kuang sighed, letting out a long breath, before leaning back on the wicker chair. "I had relatives who I believe joined the Horde." Kuang answered. "They were practitioners of the Huojin philosophy. I'm pretty sure they followed Ji Firepaw, the master of Huojin, when he left the Wandering Isle."

Jansho nodded; family was the binding factor of Pandaren society regardless of where one had been born. "I'm sorry. We did encounter Pandaren from the Turtle in the north, but I don't think we ran into anyone with your last name."

Kuang nodded sorrowfully. "I hope they have not come to harm. This war has done enough to our people." He learned forward in the chair again and spoke quietly. "I...I fought them for the first time today. Not Horde, I _have_ fought against them before." Jansho listened apprehensively as Kuang spoke, his voice taking a harder edge. "I fought the crawling horror that your order must face every single day...the Sha. They popped out of the ground itself and started polluting the orchards..." He covered his face in his hands for a moment, and then sighed resignedly.

Jansho leaned forward and listened, his attention focused. "And what did you think of the Sha?"

Kuang's hands fell away from his face. "They are truly the most insidious foe I have ever encountered." Kuang's steel-gray eyes were cold, hardened. "An enemy that worms its way inside your head and pollutes everything it touches? I..." His expression fell. "I trained as a Windwalker, but the idea of getting close to those things is just..." The younger Pandaren's voice drifted off.

"It takes an astonishing amount of resolve to face them directly." Jansho consoled him. "I wasn't ready for them for the better part of a decade, and I had the benefit of Shado-Pan training. You and the Alliance had not seen them before today." He offered a hand to Kuang. "But you lived. And they were not able to compromise who you were."

"How do you do it?" Kuang asked, taking Jansho's hand hesitantly. His grip was clammy, but Jansho's was warm and he squeezed it tightly. "How do you face an enemy such as that, without shrinking before the pressure they put on your _mind_?"

In truth, Jansho hadn't thought of that in a while. "I was taught to ride out the adrenaline rush of battle. Our instinct to fight or to flee heightens, and the Sha invariably attempt to convince us to flee. But they speak from the outside, and attempt to distort your mind's eye so their will seems correct. One _must_ recognize their influence and have fortified themselves mentally, physically, and emotionally against impulses that are not part of their inmost character." Jansho stood up, and helped Kuang to stand to his feet as well. The warmth was returning to his grip as Jansho spoke. "They are insidious, make no mistake, and they are the worst, most terrible enemy that we fight. But fear _cannot_ be allowed to compromise who you are."

Kuang nodded quietly. "Lord Taran Zhu said they grow stronger, and are more challenging to fight as you encounter them more and more. Is that because they're connected to each other, and one experience prepares the others for when they face you?"

"I...cannot say." Jansho admitted quietly. "But I do know that they _will_ learn from their earlier battles."

There was a pause as Kuang considered what Jansho was saying. "Thus battling them becomes an art of constant reinvention. I wonder what Hui would have thought of such an enemy..." Kuang said wistfully. "She was always good at inventing new styles on the spot."

Hui? There was no doubt in Jansho's mind now, but he still had to be certain. "Hui?" He asked, feigning confusion. "Who is that?"

"Hui Chang." Kuang confirmed with a wistful look. "We both learned under Shang Xi. She was a warrior...and a very good one at that."

Jansho was cautious, but he pressed forward. "Interesting..." He shrugged nonchalantly. "I did meet a Pandaren warrior by the name of Hui Chang in the north. She wore the Horde tabard. She acquitted herself well against the Sha."

Kuang's eyes widened and then narrowed in less than a second. To Jansho, the sudden transformation was as though Kuang had been slapped across the face by an icy hand. "I see." Kuang said quietly, his voice low. "There is...nothing more to be said." Suddenly, he made as though to leave. Jansho took his arm, not roughly, but concernedly.

"Aren't you glad to hear about her?" Jansho asked, baffled by Kuang's behavior.

"I..." Kuang paused, walked outside, and stopped, facing the sea. "One of the most important things that King Varian Wrynn of the Alliance told me after I enlisted with them was...there could be _no_ fraternizing with those we considered our friends on the Wandering Isle." He turned around, his expression resolute...but there was something in those gray eyes of his that made Jansho extremely skeptical.

The Shado-Pan rogue rolled his eyes. "Kuang, I am a father. I **know** what that look means." Kuang folded his arms, his expression skeptical, and awaited an explanation. Jansho shook his head. "Even as you speak those words, you do not _believe_ them."

"Of course I..." Kuang's voice was hot, but it trailed off at once. "Look, if you want to speak more of this, we should talk later. But not right now."

"Very well." Jansho held up his hand and walked over to his boots, slipping them on. "I understand. But we should speak of it regardless. I would like to hear more of this...Varian Wrynn...if you are willing to speak, that is."

Kuang nodded in acceptance. "I'd be happy to tell you later. But for now, we should seek out Taran Zhu and find out what is going on." Holding a hand to his face, Kuang grimaced. "I'm sure my friends only managed to get themselves into _more_ trouble."

* * *

TARAN ZHU

The Lord of the Shado-Pan meditated on a bridge not far removed from the village square of Paw'don, his thoughts on earlier events. He was most appreciative when he saw that Jansho walked again, albeit with some stiffness in his step. "It's good to see you back up to speed, Jansho Ghostpaw." He greeted the Wu Kao Rogue warmly as he and Kuang Cloudwalker approached. "Although you did miss several meals..." Taran chuckled.

"An unavoidable consequence of an unforeseeable injury," Jansho lamented, throwing his hands outward in dismay, "but I'm glad to be back on my feet." He bowed to Taran. "I'm very glad to be able to report for duty."

Taran nodded. "And I am glad to hear that, but in light of your wound, let's play it safe for now, yes?" Jansho nodded reluctantly. Taran now pointed to the village. "Hard to believe this was burning yesterday, yes?"

Now that he'd pointed it out to the Wu Kao rogue, Taran observed Jansho's double take. "I'm...impressed. All the fires are out, and the damage seems to have been repaired."

Taran nodded himself. "I am impressed, but the Alliance _did_ live up to their end of the bargain." Taran stepped closer to Jansho. "I don't tell you this because we're siding with them, Jansho. I remember that you did not think them worthy of trust, not after our adventures in Honeydew Village."

"It's true, I didn't." Jansho admitted. "I didn't know what to make of them."

"They helped fight the Sha earlier." Taran stated, and pointed to Kuang Cloudwalker. "And there's our good Windwalker himself! Or, I should say, Cloudwalker." He stood to his feet. "Kuang, you were tremendously helpful earlier today."

"I am the one who should be thanking you, Taran Zhu." Kuang bowed hastily, his beard nearly scraping the bridge. "I wasn't of that much use."

"You acquitted yourself with honor and grace, Kuang." Taran intoned, tipping his hat. "And for one who had never fought Sha before, that is most impressive." He shifted his shoulders. "For now, we must be going."

"We're leaving already, Lord Zhu?" Jansho was baffled. Taran took the lead and led on back through the center of Paw'don Village.

"Oh, we're not leaving the village proper, Jansho." Taran shook his head. "We're heading to an old mogu fortress. Twinspire Keep..." He bared his teeth, "the Horde has set up shop in there, but Sha have been boiling out of the place since this morning. And it's our duty to stop them."

Kuang nodded gravely. "We were alerted to their presence by the screams of the Alliance soldiers that they hit first." Bowing his head, he reported, "Not all survived. Some of the injured are in a tortured state between life and death."

"It is a most unfortunate state of affairs." Taran Zhu concluded. "After we returned from facing them this morning, Kuang went to check on you."

"I wanted to apologize earlier." Kuang nodded. "I had the chance today." His beard dipped towards the ground as he bowed his head once more.

Jansho smiled, his teeth glittering against the gray of his face. "Please! You shouldn't bend over backwards apologizing for something that wasn't your fault."

The Shado-Pan Lord smiled as well; he knew Jansho wasn't the type to hold a grudge against someone he'd barely met, especially a Pandaren. Something gave him pause mentally, though. It was his _own_ thought process: had another member of the Alliance come before Jansho and had it not been a Pandaren, how would the rogue have reacted? Taran mentally decided he'd ask later, but he had a feeling that even a conjectural encounter of that nature would not have ended well for the apologizing person. Jansho could be extremely hot-tempered, after all, and perhaps he didn't see the distinction between Pandaren. But it was a dangerous trap to get sucked into...

Mayor Sunke Khang stood facing Twinspire Keep, his back to the three Pandaren as they approached. As they passed, Taran saw that Khang's jaw clenched and unclenched with rage. "They..." The words barely escaped his lips.

Taran realized instantly that something serious had happened recently. He froze on the spot and faced Khang, worry creeping into his voice. "What happened?"

Sunke's face dripped hot tears to the ground as his voice shook with emotion. "The other villagers didn't want to say, but I knew there were fewer children around the village. I just knew it..." He snarled, "The Horde. This has to do with them."

Jansho and Kuang exchanged a glance, but the meaning was unclear. Kuang spoke first, his tone questioning. "What have they done?"

"A few days ago, before you arrived, their leader made us a trade offer. He wanted lumber, food, ammunition..." Mayor Khang shook his head furiously. "We have barely enough of the first two for ourselves. We had none of the second. But that didn't matter to him. The Horde offered us demonic tools of some sort...the magic was foul, it clenched the very air like a vicegrip. I could never agree to such a deal."

Taran's mind filled in the gap. "So in retaliation..."

Khang nodded, his teeth showing in barely concealed rage. "They took several of our children as...tools. Like they were...means to get us to give them what they wanted."

Taran held a hand to his face in dismay. "They're using them bargaining chips against your village...the very act of taking the future away." Taran's expression was grim. "We can't allow this to continue."

"The Horde has set up various defensive positions across Twinspire Keep." Khang's voice fell to a low husky baritone. "Stop them. Bring back my people. I...worried about something like this happening, but...I didn't realize that the Horde was truly that twisted." His face took a strange rictus, almost a grimace. "I know what they are now."

It was Kuang who stepped in. "I won't excuse their behavior, Mayor, but the peons that I fought in the orchards with Teng Applebloom...they were _starving_. They must have been here a while before starvation forced them to act. _Desperation_ is what drove them to do this."

"That doesn't make it right." Jansho murmured, discomfited.

Kuang Cloudwalker held up a hand and a ragged sigh escaped his chest. "No, it doesn't." Kuang agreed. "But...I have to understand _why_ the Horde must be fought." His voice trailed off. "They aren't wholly evil, but their actions here only reflect the _worst_ parts of their nature."

Taran quietly took it all in and nodded in consideration. But Kuang Cloudwalker spoke as he had not spoken just the other day. When Kuang fought the Sha with Taran's assistance, the Windwalker Monk had spoken of the Horde with impassioned anger and utter venom. What had changed? This was a rather sudden change...and while Taran Zhu was glad to see that the young monk was not blindly angry towards the Horde (and thus empowering the Sha with his rage), he was more than a little curious as to what provoked it. "We'll get your children back, Mayor Khang." Taran Zhu bowed. "I vow this on behalf of my order. Your village's very future _is_ at stake." Gesturing towards Twinspire Keep, Taran waved the other two forwards. "We'll get this resolved at once."

"Thank you, Taran Zhu." Mayor Sunke Khang's face practically scraped the road; his bow was so deep and impassioned.

* * *

EVENING OF THE FIFTH DAY

TARAN ZHU

The walk back to Paw'don Village from Twinspire Keep was a loud one...and Taran Zhu could not help but smile as ten young Pandaren cubs walked along the path ahead of him. They chattered amongst themselves about how suffocating confinement had been, and about how grateful they were for freedom. Jansho and Kuang kept them from wandering too far, while Taran brought up the rear. A little girl was on his shoulder opposite his tiger pauldron, and she clung to his neck. Her little hands attempted to pull down his facial scarf, which he just barely managed to hold up with his other hand. "Little one, I **have** told you not to do that." Taran chided her gently, making a face of discomfort and pulling the scarf back into place.

"I'm sorry." She said in a pouting voice that was clearly as **not** sorry as a child could get. "I wanted to see your face."

Taran smiled and winked at her. "I rarely show it, even to those I know well and those I command. It would be a rare display for someone your age."

She didn't like that answer. "Will you show me what you look like later, Mr. Zhu?"

Taran caught Jansho chuckling up ahead. He let loose a sigh of strained patience. "I make no promises, child. We shall see."

She harrumphed and pouted the rest of the way back. The rescued cubs and the older Pandaren approached the village, and Taran's keen yellow eyes saw that almost every surviving family in Paw'don had gathered in the streets. The teasing winds brought their worried whispers to the ears of the Lord of the Shado-Pan. Taran Zhu's heart was moved with pity for these people. They hadn't expected that these last few days would see their very children swept away from them as pawns in a war, or that their village would be damaged at all. As they approached, the children grew more excited.

"Can we go back now?" One of the older ones, a male just beginning to show the signs of an adult stomach and beard, asked quietly.

"Of course you can." Jansho smiled as he spoke. "Go on. Your parents are waiting for you."

At once, the small group of cubs broke into a quick run. They squealed with delight as their parents swept them up into the air and hugged them. Taran could not help but smile as the overjoyed parents hugged their children to them. An older male fisherman, who had wept to Taran about losing his wife to an Alliance shell that had landed in the village, approached him hesitantly. Taran held up a hand quietly, and he nodded. The older Pandaren's eyes were filled with sorrow. "That's my daddy." The cub on Taran's shoulder whispered, burying her head into his shoulder mischievously.

The fisherman's eyes were filled with sorrow...up until he recognized his daughter's face, as she removed it from Taran's shoulder. Delight filled his face and he at once closed the distance between them. Both of them laughing with delight, the last missing child's father seized his daughter in an iron grip and held her close to him. "I...didn't know whether I would see you again." The father's voice was muffled against his daughter's head. "I've already lost your mother in this madness. Losing you would..." He turned to Taran Zhu, releasing his daughter slightly so she could look out at him as well. "Lord Zhu, I...I can never repay you for what you have done. Thank you for saving her."

Taran shook his head. As proud as such a thing might have made him, it was not his place to accept undue praise. "It is Kuang Cloudwalker and the Alliance that you should thank. They found her in a cellar in Twinspire Keep."

The fisherman gave Kuang Cloudwalker a skeptical glance. He and Jansho had both been swept into an impromptu dance by several younger women and men from the village. "I see." The fisherman was already embittered towards the Alliance, and his tone reflected it. "I...I'm _sure_ they stood to benefit somehow." His tone was extremely bitter.

"Daddy, please don't..." His daughter pleaded with him. Her father considered her for a moment, and then tears dripped from his eyes.

The fisherman took his daughter in his arms and placed her on his own shoulder. "There's nothing for us here. Not any longer. I...I'm not sure what I'll do now."

"I wish you success wherever your path may take you, sir." Taran bowed. "Your daughter...attached herself to me." Meeting the older male's eyes, and seeing that they were alone, with all the rest of the villagers dancing in Paw'don's streets, Taran said in a firm, yet gentle tone, "Be strong for _her_ sake. She has lost her mother. You have lost your wife. Make sure that her future remains bright."

"I will, Lord Taran Zhu." The fisherman bowed as best he could, his daughter clinging to his shoulder. He let her down a moment later.

As Taran Zhu turned to head to the village, the child yelled, "Wait!"

Taran turned, with the merest ghost of a smile gathering at his lips. "Yes?"

"Can I see your face?" She asked again.

Taran gave her a more disapproving glance, his eyes meeting hers. "Hasn't your father taught you about impossible desires?"

She protested, "But I caught a glimpse of it earlier. Can I see it again?"

Taran rolled his eyes, but walked back towards her and her father. Kneeling before her so that only she could see him, Taran delicately lowered the scarf from his face, allowing her to see him fully for who he was. It was a gesture he seldom afforded. He met her eyes, a solemn smile on his face. A sad expression, he realized, but it was one that spoke ten thousand words between them in an instant. The child grabbed his face about his ears and hugged him tightly. "Thank you. Thank you, thank you." She whispered, her voice filled with the tears and sobs that escaped her body. "Thank you."

Before anything further could be said, she hastily released Taran Zhu, and clung to her father's leg instead. Her father's face similarly filled with tears as Taran replaced the scarf about his face. The fisherman bowed once more. "Come on, Jaora. Let's go home." His daughter wrapped about his leg, the burly fisherman made his way back to a small shack on the shoreline. Taran watched the two head off...and as he walked to the village, he wondered what the future would bring this place.

Other families, those whose only ties to this place had been family slain in battle, would surely leave here. There were too many unpleasant memories. Those who had strong ties would attempt to rebuild their lives. But those who did not want to stick out this insane war that had landed on their shores...the tales they would tell would grow. And perhaps, they might provoke even greater worry and greater fear. All of those things, as prudent as they might seem to refugees, were simply more fuel for the sha could draw upon... His mind snapped back to Twinspire Keep for a moment. The final moments of the orc Ga'trul, his very essence suffused by hate and rage, screaming death to the Alliance...up until his last ragged breaths. Taran's eyes snapped shut. Ga'trul had spat venom and foul magics up until the three Pandaren had thrown him down, and the Sha had discarded his body like a broken toy. Taran shook his head once more. He had been steeled against such things. Others who lacked his training had not been.

He walked through the partying villagers like a wraith. He knew that they celebrated for now. Tomorrow would be time for them to take stock of their wounds and grieve. Taran Zhu did not want to interfere with that. _Let the ghosts fade, _he decided, _and prepare for another day of journeying. As Shaohao once did, I must seek the Jade Serpent's advice on these outsiders._

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

I started this chapter off...and I had several directions that I wanted to take it. Ultimately, I decided to leave the focus on the Horde that Alliance players would have to other writers, and focus instead on how the Shado-Pan are so desperately tugged by their heartstrings one way or the other. Children and young adult Pandaren were taken by the Alliance for forced labor in Honeydew Village, and Pandaren children were taken as bargaining chips by the Horde in Paw'don. That doesn't make it right, but desperation does strange things to people.

I will return to this shortly. Those of you who know the lore must realize that Taran Zhu is about to take the first steps down a very dark road. This is a brief glimpse at Taran Zhu, before that road truly becomes something inescapable.


	10. Nectarbreeze and the Gormali, Part 1

DAWN OF THE SIXTH DAY

PAW'DON VILLAGE

JANSHO GHOSTPAW

The sun rose furtively over the edge of the horizon, the sea air began to warm, and the waters of the harbor danced in the eastern light of the new day. Within the house of Soraka, Jansho Ghostpaw gathered his few possessions in his travel pack and gave a look to Taran Zhu, also packing up. The two Shado-Pan had agreed the previous night that they would leave before the village was able to bog them down with further celebrations.

Soraka yawned and stepped out of her small room, dressed in a simple gray silk night robe. "You are leaving, honored guests?" She asked in a quiet, not fully awake voice.

Jansho finished packing and nodded. "We are." He bowed deeply to her and said solemnly, "I may never be able to repay you for the care you gave me, Soraka, and I am eternally grateful for your healing hands."

Soraka smiled sleepily and returned his gesture. "You Shado-Pan are people of action. I know that lying about incapacitated with that head wound was sheer torture. I am glad that you have recovered, but do not strain yourself for a few days yet." She waggled a finger at him remonstratively. "Those are my doctor's orders."

"I will take heed of them." Jansho nodded, hefting the pack onto his back.

"Lord Zhu, I cannot thank you enough for what you have done here." Soraka smiled. "The Alliance left after the party last night. They said they had someone to seek out in the area..."

"How strange for outsiders to do so." Taran Zhu moved his scarf into position and murmured quietly, having remained silent to this point. "Soraka, I told Mayor Khang this yesterday, but no one is to be allowed into Twinspire Keep for the foreseeable future. The Sha that Ga'trul unleashed in that place need to be dispersed, but the only ones who could do so are three days' journey away." He shook his head, taking up his helmet and putting it on. "If there is anything you need in the days to come, you need only ask and I will see what I can do."

"Thank you, Lord Zhu." Soraka bowed once more. "I will be certain to do so."

Taran and Jansho took their leave of the kindly doctor. The village had not yet awoken, so they were relatively unbothered as they walked through the sleeping streets of Paw'don. Their tigers awaited them on the outskirts of the village, both concealed in the undergrowth of a tall bamboo grove. Qagaora yowled as Jansho approached her, and he took up her chin and itched away with one hand. The deep rumbling growls of contentment that the riding tiger emitted seemed to crawl up Jansho's arm, and he could not help but smile. "You missed me, didn't you?"

Taran Zhu spoke up. "I found her curled near you when I returned from the harbor. She looked so innocent...and if Qagaora knew that she was the reason for your injury, she tried to make it up by protecting you at least." He shrugged his shoulders.

"The only thing to blame for that was the damned fighting the harbor." Jansho stated calmly. "I cannot blame her for my plight. I should have dismounted cleanly." He patted Qagaora on the nose. "I will not make the same mistake a second time."

Taran Zhu nodded, and then turned back to the village. His eyes narrowed as a burly male Pandaren ran towards them. "I wonder what this could be about..." He murmured.

The facial features of the approaching male were difficult even for Jansho's eyes to make out in the early morning light. "Wait! I...I needed to speak with you before you headed out!" The voice of Kuang Cloudwalker carried through the air and he panted as he came to a stop.

"How can the Shado-Pan serve this day, Kuang Cloudwalker?" Taran Zhu's voice was neutral yet carried just a hint of impatience. "The Alliance hasn't stirred up more Sha, have they?"

"They have not, to the best of my knowledge." Kuang caught his breath at last. He spoke to Jansho. "Ghostpaw, this is about our talk yesterday. I...I couldn't talk freely with so many members of SI:7 present."

Jansho nodded considerately. "I thought it might have been something like that."

"SI:7?" Taran was confused now. "Who are they?"

Kuang spoke up. "They're an Alliance organization that answers to King Varian. They put together this whole effort to arrive in Pandaria. Prince Anduin Wrynn of the Alliance has gone missing, and we're trying to find him."

"And this SI:7 must believe he is missing somewhere in Pandaria?" Jansho was baffled. "But how would he have gotten here?"

"I have no idea." Kuang lowered his head. "All I know is that the Alliance is bound and determined to find him before the Horde does."

"Your war again..." Taran harrumphed disappointedly. "Must it _always_ come to that?"

"I'm afraid so." Kuang admitted. "The truth is...Jansho and I spoke of who you encountered in the north."

"Hui Chang." Taran nodded.

Kuang's eyebrows furrowed with concern. "Is she well?"

Jansho and Taran exchanged a glance. "She is." Taran answered him.

Jansho spoke up now. "She left a message with us that if we ever encountered a Yang Cloudwalker among the Alliance, we were to tell him that she had arrived first in Pandaria."

Kuang's expression was confused. "Yang? I haven't been called that in..." His eyes widened as he realized the message. "Of _course_...she must be under similar orders to forget everyone she knew from the Wandering Isle, especially if they didn't choose her side."

Taran realized this as well. "Her message was meant for you."

Kuang smiled now, but it was a furtive expression. "I'm glad she's here, and safe for that matter. If I were to run into her...well, I'd like that."

Jansho eyed him suspiciously. "You're not...lovers, are you?"

Kuang's eyebrows rose in shock and his eyes widened, "Of course we're not! I doubt either of us would be here if we **were**." He sighed wearily. "We follow our own roads now. I hope never to cross my staff with her sword. She was a demon in unarmed combat back on the Wandering Isle...I can only guess as to how much she's improved."

"I remember that her skills were quite impressive." Jansho praised the absent Hui. "Hopefully you never have to fight her."

Taran gave Jansho a quick glance, an encouragement that they should be on their way. Then he spoke in a solemn voice. "If you intend to stay in Pandaria, Kuang Cloudwalker, I hope you will remember the lessons that you learned these past days. But mind those you work with. Make sure that they are not guided by hate and fear."

"I shall do so, Taran Zhu." Kuang bowed. "I've kept you long enough. Celestials guide your footsteps." He walked back to the village, allowing the two Shado-Pan to head on their way.

"And may the Celestials watch over yours as well." Taran offered in a louder voice, and Kuang turned back and waved farewell. "We've tended to matters here." Taran said in a low voice to Jansho. "Now it's time to head to the Temple of the Jade Serpent. After that, we head to Tian Monastery...and then we return to Kun-Lai."

"That sounds like a reasonable course of action." Jansho murmured, smiling as Kuang had turned back and waved again. He swung one leg over Qagaora, shifted his position so as not to harm the tiger, and took up the riding tiger's reins. "I am ready to leave, Lord Zhu."

Taran nodded as he did likewise, and after a moment, the tigers pounded along the now-dusty roads leading to the north.

* * *

EARLY MORNING

SOMEWHERE BETWEEN PAW'DON VILLAGE AND NECTARBREEZE ORCHARD

TARAN ZHU

They had ridden scarcely three miles when Taran Zhu felt something strange creeping at his mind. Something _was_ wrong. It was an intuition, but Taran Zhu seldom reached these conclusions without a good deal of evidence. _But __**what**__ is wrong?_

The air was heavy as though it had rained heavily just an hour earlier. Yet only wispy clouds hung overhead, and the sun beat down on the two Shado-Pan as they rode northward. It was almost as though...lightning had struck. There was a shallow haze hanging over the path ahead. In the distance, he made out unclear booms. He held up a hand suddenly and pulled his white riding tiger to a full stop. Jansho hastily followed suit at Taran's signal. Taran lowered his scarf slightly and smelled the air. The Shado-Pan lord's eyes narrowed; they'd almost arrived at that haze when he had ordered the stop. He recognized a scent on the wind that was reminiscent of green trees full of fruit set aflame. And there was something else, something that tickled his memory but was otherwise unclear. His eyes widened as his keen nose finally grasped what it was. It indicated a presence he had not felt in some years...a dangerous, forceful presence. "I believe Nectarbreeze Orchard is in grave danger."

Taran turned to Jansho, only to see that the deep brown eyes of the Wu Kao Rogue were clouded. His face bore a cold grimace. "Mogu." Jansho whispered, not in fear, but in apprehension.

"Yes," Taran agreed quietly, sniffing once more, "and I smell a good many of them at that."

Jansho's eyes widened abruptly. "I smell too many of them for two of us to handle by ourselves, even with the benefit of our training." Jansho turned his tiger back down the road they had arrived from. "Shall I see if Paw'don can send aid?" He asked.

Taran nodded at once; Jansho was right in his guess and what they needed to do. "Do so now. If Kuang Cloudwalker has not already left, bring him here quickly." Jansho nodded in acknowledgement, and with a quiet shove, Qagaora bore him back to the south with all deliberate speed. Taran dismounted quietly and gestured his mount into the safety of some weeping birch trees. He didn't want the white of the tiger giving his position away, after all. Taking cover on the opposite side of the path, Taran awaited Jansho's return. All of his senses were attuned towards the distant village that he knew to be there, yet could only faintly sense. His golden eyes narrowed as he looked off to the west.

He had waited about five minutes when a distant shout of agony filled the air. Taran Zhu then heard a second, and a third...and all of them were heading towards him. The Shado-Pan Lord made out heavy forms crashing through undergrowth and desperate panting. His eyes widened with alarm as he realized the ones heading his way were Pandaren from Nectarbreeze, pursued by heavier footsteps. _Mogu footsteps,_ Taran recognized the heavy treads.

One of the fleeing Pandaren sprinted right past the concealed Taran Zhu, gasping with desperation as she limped through the underbrush, making it to the path. She yelped with pain as a heavy figure suddenly dropped out of stealth, seized her arm violently...

Taran Zhu had seen enough. Gathering chi to his palms, the Lord of the Shado-Pan moved like a wraith from his position. The recaptured woman yelled with pain as she was struck hard for her efforts, just as Taran Zhu charged the Mogu Stalker that had gripped her. The mogu was struck dumb with shock at seeing a fully armed opponent, let alone one who bore the hated uniform of the Shado-Pan. His opponent had no time to react; Taran leapt as he had with the Zandalari and smashed his Chi Burst into the mogu's chest as he descended. The mogu flinched at once and was forced several steps backwards, releasing the woman at once in the process. The mogu's breath caught in his chest as he attempted to face the Shado-Pan. Taran gathered a chi burst as he ducked the mogu's clumsy arm swing, and released that second chi burst an instant later. The staggered mogu was flung bodily into a thick teak tree, which groaned loudly under the force of impact. Before the mogu could make more than a single grunt of pained alarm or scramble upright, Taran Zhu's war sword plunged through his throat. The mogu's eyes dimmed in horror, death claiming him quickly.

His first opponent subdued, Taran returned to the woman, who covered an injured arm with her other hand. Taran hastily removed a thick bandage from his pack and slapped it about her wound. "Others are on their way from the south." Taran whispered. "Stay in the underbrush and wait for them." She nodded. Taran Zhu sighted the next fleeing villager and the mogu pursuing him, and prepared to unleash further death this day.

* * *

JANSHO GHOSTPAW

Jansho, Kuang, and Qagaora charged along the path, ten of Paw'don's city guards tramping along behind them. Jansho had to leave them in the dust; he'd heard the screams and he truly had no other choice. Kuang Cloudwalker gripped Jansho's waist and his eyes were wide with a mix of delight and awe as they rode along. "Just hold on tight." Jansho muttered to both the tiger and Kuang as Qagaora sprinted along the road. She wasn't built for long sprinting stretches, but speed was necessary now more than ever.

He made out white stripes in the underbrush to the right, as well as a flash of red-stained steel to the left. He knew instinctively that this was where he had left Taran Zhu, and Jansho brought Qagaoa to a stop and hastily dismounted. As soon as Kuang was off the tiger, he shooed Qagaora off the path and towards Taran's tiger. The black kunai came to his hands and fit into place as though they belonged there. Giving a quick glance to Kuang, Jansho caught the other Pandaren's nod as he vanished into stealth.

His steps were quick, measured, but still somewhat silent despite the underbrush. He heard a grunt and a crashing sound of mogu bodily slammed against ground. He saw the war sword of Taran Zhu rise once more, but there were two opponents and Taran only saw the one he faced. His eyes narrowing, Jansho eyed the concealed stalker who was eyeing a chance at striking down Taran once the Shado-Pan lord's back was to him. In a move made easier by reflex, Jansho whipped the kunai in his left hand through the air. The black steel appeared the instant it had left the stealthed rogue's hand and stuck into the concealed mogu between his shoulder and his neck, provoking a yell of pain and an alarmed shout. The mogu stalker fell over backwards, clutching at his injury and the black kunai now embedded near his neck. The mogu that Taran Zhu faced suddenly had two opponents as Kuang swept in from the side, bringing his staff and smashing the mogu over the jaw with it.

Jansho readied three shuriken and continued to use the underbrush to his advantage, remaining under cover of the shadows. The mogu stalker dropped out of his own stealth, hissing with rage and looking for his assailant. Jansho Ghostpaw had no intention of allowing him a chance to strike back, but his intention mattered little as the mogu retraced the kunai's flight and wrenched the black blade from his chest. Hefting a short sword with green cloud motifs along the blade with one hand, the mogu's eyes widened as three shuriken suddenly appeared out of nowhere. The short sword blocked only the middle throwing star, the other two cut into his exposed stomach. Growling with rising anger, the mogu finally caught sight of the Shado-Pan assassin and unexpectedly threw the black kunai he'd been stabbed with.

Fortune was on Jansho's side, the throw was a _bad_ one made in the heat of battle, and the handle was slick with the mogu's own blood. The black blade whipped through the air and went three feet wide of the Wu Kao Rogue. Using his remaining kunai, Jansho slashed at the mogu, but the wounded stalker just barely managed to counter his blow with a sword strike. Jansho sidestepped two wild blows and then struck out with a rapidly thrown fist from his free hand. The mogu wasn't able to get his own sword back up in time and the blow staggered him backwards.

His opponent's face becoming contorted by utter fury, Jansho played this more cautiously. The mogu was frustrated; he was both unable to bring down a much smaller opponent and unable to outmaneuver that opponent. Jansho readied his kunai and eyed the mogu's next stroke. It was an unexpected whipping slash with the short sword, and while Jansho was able to counter, the attack drove him backwards by sheer force alone. The mogu swung once more, and Jansho dodged this time...but not completely. The blade tugged at the skin of his left cheek as he leapt backwards. Blood at once flowed to his wound, but Jansho refused to panic. The flow of battle seemed to slow...and his next attack fell into place as the mogu charged the Wu Kao Rogue.

Jansho smiled, a recklessly charging opponent was something that members of the Wu Kao _dreamed_ about. They had no opportunity to dodge, nor was prudence guiding their motions. He sidestepped and made use of a plunging feint that would have gouged the mogu's chest open. The mogu, realizing his mistake, panicked and attempted to stop short. Too little of an effort had been made too late, however; Jansho steered the mogu's sword away with the kunai. With his free hand, he grabbed the mogu's chestplate and overbalanced him. The mogu crashed to the ground with his armor clanging around him, and rolled upright in an effort to defend himself...

Jansho Ghostpaw was on him the moment he did so. His three hundred pounds slammed the mogu flat on his back before he could roll to a standing position. Meeting the mogu stalker's eyes, Jansho's kunai slashed through air, through muscle, through bone, through artery... The mogu gasped with shock and horror as Jansho jumped off of him. The dying stalker coughed violently, clutching at his throat and dropping the sword with a low clunk. The mogu passed from life soon afterwards, an expression of agony on his features.

It had been a quick killing strike, all things considered, but it brought no joy to Jansho Ghostpaw. He looked to where Taran Zhu and Kuang stood over the mogu they had taken down together, and nodded to Lord Zhu. He took the dead mogu's arms and folded them over his fallen opponent's chest. Even the deadliest assassins of the Shado-Pan respected their adversaries in such a way. Before walking back to them, he hefted the fallen mogu's blade and removed the sheath from his opponent's belt. Something told him this was too small to be a true mogu weapon.

Behind Taran stood two young Pandaren males, both bearing whip marks and shaking with nervous apprehension. "Shado-Pan...maybe Nectarbreeze has a chance after all." The younger of them said in a quivering voice.

A woman who had taken cover on the other side of the road walked over painfully, still clutching her arm. "We owe you our lives. We ran when the Gormali judged us to be too weak."

Taran nodded. "I was glad to help you. Can you tell me what happened to the village?" Taran Zhu asked in a calm voice that belied his recent actions.

"Celestials..." The older male breathed out. "We were on the outskirts of the orchard when the attack hit. Mogu everywhere, nowhere to run...they grabbed us and hauled us through the forest to their camp."

"Those they didn't kill outright got the _pleasure_ of being judged fit for their service." The woman said bitterly. "They took just about the entire work crew that was in Nectarbreeze for the day."

Taran looked the three escapees over with his eyes. "We'll be sure to help them if we can. You three should rest up, and then head south to Paw'don. Warn them there may be more injured on the way. Celestials keep you safe." They nodded and bowed, stumbling back through the underbrush and to the path. Looking to Jansho and Kuang, Taran nodded appreciatively. "It's good to have you both back. I would have waited longer before I acted, but the plight of those three forced my hand. The mogu weren't planning on taking them back alive."

Jansho nodded soberly as he took out a small piece of gauze from his pack. Kuang stepped in, took the gauze, and hastily held it to Jansho's cheek. The Wu Kao rogue grimaced as Kuang taped the gauze in place and pointed back to the road, "There were about ten of the city guards behind us. That evens the odds, Lord Zhu." The guards arrived just as Jansho had finished speaking, and they saw the two Shado-Pan and Kuang Cloudwalker through the underbrush. At once they began to head towards them.

With the bandage in place, Taran Zhu gestured to the guards as they panted up. "The mogu have taken Nectabreeze Orchard and either killed or taken the farmers there. You're not Shado-Pan, but you are Pandaren, and we need your help." The guardsmen and guardswomen bowed. "I want no pitched battle or wholesale slaughter. When we find out what's happening in Nectarbreeze, we drive the mogu to flight." Pointing to the distant buildings of Nectarbreeze, Taran stated, "Let's go!"

* * *

NECTARBREEZE ORCHARD

TARAN ZHU

To say that the village was a scene of chaos would have been an understatement. Bushes blazed and crackled, and a few straggling Gormali mogu lumbered about the scene, setting further objects afire. As the makeshift fighting force of thirteen approached, Taran saw a blur of motion and heard a crack as a mogu skull struck solid stone. At the sounds of fighting, the Lord of the Shado-Pan hastened his pace; one hand resting on the war sword's handle while his free hand gathered chi to it. The adrenaline began to flow through his veins...

He was the first to arrive at the only unburned dwelling in the village. At the door of that house, a brave Pandaren danced away from heavy blows that he exchanged with a Gormali mogu. Taran Zhu's eyes widened and he launched himself through the air. The Jade Serpent herself seemed to guide his blow and his flight, and Taran felt his foot plant hard into the mogu's chest, sending it spinning away. With a heavy clunk, the mogu landed on its side, and attempted to stagger upright. Taran hastily took the offensive, and jumping once more, landed such that he stood over the dazed mogu as it rose unsteadily. The chi burst gathered in Taran's palm exploded into the mogu's head, knocking it unconscious at the very least. The dazed Gormali raider slumped to the ground.

Taran shook his head as he walked to the dwelling. "What **disaster** did the Gormali Clan bring with them?" He asked the Pandaren who had defended the house.

The Pandaren's eyes grew wide as he recognized the presence of a Shado-Pan. He spoke quickly, "The damnable mogu popped out of nowhere and hit the whole village almost at once! Anyone that didn't get killed outright got dragged away into the woods." Patting the safehouse door, he snapped, "This is the only safe house in the region, and it's all _I_ can to do hold the door..."

The voice of an older woman called from within the house, "Who's out there, Shao? Is it safe?"

"It's two Shado-Pan and some people from Paw'don, but stay inside, Hanae!" Shao responded with a yell. He looked beseechingly to the two Shado-Pan and to Kuang Cloudwalker, who stood not far behind them. "Honored Shado-Pan, could one of you see if there's anything the gentle mother needs? She is working tirelessly to tend to the survivors inside."

Taran looked about the area. "We're here to help. How many mogu remain aside from this one..." he caught sight of the mogu that Shao had felled, "I mean, these two?"

"I saw about half a dozen of them earlier after the others dragged most of the orchard workers away. Mopping up, in all likelihood..." Shao responded in a low voice, indicating shame that he hadn't done more. "Too many for one Pandaren farmer to take on..."

Taran replied soothingly, "Don't worry, Shao. We'll take care of the mogu." He dispatched the guards to that purpose. "Those of you from Paw'don, make sure the Gormali leave here with a good beating. We'll be sure to help if you get into trouble." They saluted him and headed off, gripping their weapons and splitting into impromptu teams of two. Taran looked to Jansho. "Help them out, Ghostpaw." The Wu Kao Rogue nodded and saluted crisply, vanishing into stealth a moment later. That left Taran and Kuang Cloudwalker... "Kuang Cloudwalker, see what these people need." He said simply, at a loss for other words.

Kuang bowed, his reddish-brown beard shaking as he did so. "What will you be doing in the meantime, Lord Zhu?" He asked respectfully.

"Removing these murderous jackals from this village, of course," Taran hefted his sword. "It's _past_ time we made them pay for their arrogance."

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Rather than wait for the Nectarbreeze Orchard storyline to bloom up later, I felt it would be better suited here for when those who knew how to deal with marauding mogu were in the area.

Kuang will eventually go through most of the classic Alliance storyline, while Hui takes care of the Horde. But their adventures will be referred to, not covered; this story isn't about them, but rather, about how they fit into the Shado-Pan narrative that we can assume existed, but was otherwise untouched.

I was **not** a fan of Taran Zhu jetting off on a Cloud Serpent as soon as the Sha were defeated in Honeydew and Paw'don. No. He came there to stabilize things, and the Horde and Alliance have left the villages...but they're not done yet! The events in the Jade Forest MoP take place over many days, not mere hours, and while the Cloud Serpents are _**beautiful**_, they're kind of an instant cheat code. Taran Zhu might be many things, but he isn't a mage. No instant transport for you!


	11. Nectarbreeze and the Gormali, Part 2

NECTARBREEZE VILLAGE

EARLY AFTERNOON OF THE SIXTH DAY

TARAN ZHU

The city guards from Paw'don had done marvelously against the Gormali raiders in the orchards. Only three had been injured in the fight against the mogu, and only one had suffered a serious wound. Even now, Gentle Mother Hanae tended to the guardswoman's shattered leg. About six more farmers that had evaded the first attack by the Gormali gathered inside the safehouse. Kuang Cloudwalker had rallied these fortunate few, who took the opportunity to rest, some of them relaxing for the first time since the mogu attack hit. Kuang paced about uneasily, sipping from an energizing brew of some sort. While the Shado-Pan and the Paw'don guards had fought the mogu, Kuang had rallied the survivors, given those who could fight tools to strike back with, and put out every fire in the orchard. All in all, it was quite an impressive batch of feats, and Taran made his admiration quite clear for the Tushui Pandaren. The small band of Pandaren fighters had fought off the half-dozen mogu, killing three and forcing the others to flight. Taran Zhu knew this was only a temporary state of affairs.

He admitted that thought aloud to Jansho Ghostpaw. "We've driven the Gormali off, but they'll return if nothing further is done. I have some ideas of what we should do, but I'd like to hear yours first, Jansho."

Jansho Ghostpaw nodded; the young farmer whose broken hand he tended to grimaced as Jansho finished wrapping a thick tape about it. "I have a few ideas, Lord Zhu. The mogu struck from somewhere close by in the outlying area. If they'd taken this village, they'd have enough food to last them a good while." He gently patted the Pandaren who he'd helped on the shoulder. "Keep that still." The young male nodded and headed inside, wincing. Turning to Taran Zhu, Jansho continued talking. "They've taken the other farmers from this village. They must want them for slaves...or worse yet, they've taken them to rip out their souls." Jansho shuddered at his own idea. "Thus they want to protect their captives until the spiritbinders arrive. If we strike now, we would prevent that from happening."

Taran nodded soberly. "Once their spirit-binders and mind-benders show up, the Gormali will be able to animate stone soldiers to replace their casualties, and cause further havoc in the area...using these poor farmers for that purpose, of course." He let loose a quick breath. "We will act swiftly and decisively."

Shao the Defiant emerged from the house, taking up a long quarterstaff as he left. "Lord Zhu, I have a good idea of where the mogu may have come from."

"Could you take us there?" Kuang asked.

"I could." Shao saluted with the quarterstaff. "I trained at Tian. I know how to fight back."

"I would appreciate your help, Shao." Before Taran could say anything further, one of the farmers walked outside; he was a young male Pandaren with streaks of premature grey running through his hair. He bowed to Taran Zhu.

"Honored Shado-Pan, I know of the place Shao speaks of." The farmer held up a hand and caught his breath. "First...before we heard the war cries, we heard the trees. Groaning, creaking, and finally crashing down, as the mogu cut their way through the woods. They were making their return trip easier."

Jansho's eyes narrowed. "Of course. They couldn't be bogged down by the underbrush with prisoners in tow."

The farmer continued, "They dragged our friends back down that path, to the ruins west of the village! Those ruins have been empty for years - our children play there. Why would the mogu come back to them now?"

"I'm not certain." Taran admitted. "The mogu once used Twinspire Keep as a base when they ruled this coast, and they needed to get rock to build that from somewhere...if they had an old mine in the area..." He held a hand to his chin through his scarf, and he realized something. He growled out the next words, "Gormali...they're one of the weaker clans, as far as mogu go. But if they intend to make more soldiers or fortifications..." He looked over the uninjured guards, as well as Kuang Cloudwalker and Jansho Ghostpaw. "Rest up a minute or so longer. We'll set out for the splintered path the mogu left behind."

Hanae suddenly stepped up to the door. "Those you helped out earlier...some are able to fight, but others are not. But if you were to arm the ones you free and take the ones who can fight with you, you might have a small force to oppose the Gormali."

Shao nodded. "Combined with us, that would make a force large enough to wrangle with the mogu and possibly defeat them outright, Lord Zhu."

Taran weighed the outcomes. Yes, there were more than enough Pandaren to make a good fight of it. But what would be the best strategy? He made his decision quickly. "Kuang and I will draw the attention of the Gormali once we arrive. Guards, you'll have our backs. Jansho and Shao, it'll be up to you to free the captive farmers once we've drawn their captors away. Those that can fight...we'll need their help. Those that cannot fight will be sent back here." He saw apprehension on the faces of the Pandaren gathered here, but neither fear nor hatred. "Again, I want no pitched battle. We will fight the mogu. We are not to become them."

They nodded almost as one, and saluted him. "Let's head out." He commanded in a sharp tone.

Taran took the lead, the Tushui Pandaren taking his side, and the Lord of the Shado-Pan moved with almost total silence about his footsteps. The Windwalker's treads were light, such that he almost seemed a non-presence despite his weight. Jansho Ghostpaw and Shao the Defiant brought up the rear behind the healthy guards and those few farmers who were able to fight marched behind them.

* * *

CAMP GORMALI

JANSHO GHOSTPAW

No sooner had the group made it fifty feet down the splintered path than a trio of mogu appeared from stealth and attacked. However, Taran Zhu and the guards from Paw'don overwhelmed them. Three mogu corpses later, the group continued through the forest.

Jansho was no stranger to death. He remembered when he had inflicted no small suffering on mogu on the island of Niuzao's temple. He knew how horrible their deaths could be... These were merciful by comparison. Quick cuts to the throat cut off their air supply and blood flow, and Jansho confirmed their deaths. He had to be sure they wouldn't rise to threaten the village once more. Shao looked a little sick to his stomach at the idea of so much blood being shed, but Jansho explained to him in hushed tones after they passed the final body of a Gormali Stalker, "Shao, I know this sickens you. But they would murder you and this entire village, because that is what they believe they must do."

"Why, though?" Shao's voice trailed off.

Resolutely, Jansho Ghostpaw answered him in a low whisper, "The mogu want to take back the glory they lost when their empire fell. They're not here to negotiate. They understand neither your pity nor your remorse, but they _will_ understand your fear." Shao nodded mutely as Jansho finished, still trying to wrap his head around this bloodshed. Ahead, Taran Zhu's small group encountered further resistance_. They must have arrived at the Gormali camp,_ Jansho realized. The angry shouts of mogu and Pandaren locked in combat echoed through the forest.

"SHADO-PAN?! GORMALI, RALLY TO ME!" A huge roar boomed from the other side of the camp.

"The weak have no place in this world! Insolent little Pandaren!" Another voice snarled angrily.

Jansho and Shao exchanged an unpleasant glance as the cacophony of battle escalated. The two Pandaren made it to a small clearing overlooking the camp. In the distance, Taran Zhu's small team battled against Gormali slavers. But closer to them, a pair of mogu uneasily eyed the more than two dozen Pandaren prisoners under their watch. All of the captives wore farmer's clothing. Some were chained to posts, others wrapped in heavy nets that they could not dislodge. All were bound in some way.

Shao whispered, "This doesn't look like a quick snatch and run, Jansho. They're setting up for something big."

Jansho gestured for Shao to come closer. "I can take one of them without being noticed, Shao. If you move around the camp, I can draw the other guard away and you can start freeing the captives in the back." He gave Shao the short sword he'd taken from the first mogu he'd killed today. "This should cut right through most of their bonds."

Shao's eyes widened and he nodded. Before Jansho could leave, he whispered, "Good luck, Jansho Ghostpaw."

Jansho smiled recklessly. "I don't need luck. I have these." With three shuriken gathered in his left hand and a black kunai in his right, Jansho concealed himself amidst the forest. His soft feet made no noise as he crept closer, closer, closer... His attention was directed on the closest mogu.

One of the Pandaren captives itched at his neck with one hand. "When will we get some water?" He begged. Jansho's heart was moved with pity for him.

"Quiet, slave! Know your place." The mogu snapped, turning to him.

It was that turning that gave Jansho all the opening he needed. Still wrapped in the shadows of the forest, Jansho Ghostpaw threw all three shuriken with one hand. The Gormali slaver grunted in sudden pain with three silver glints giving away the shuriken embedded his right side. The mogu's proud brow was overwhelmed by an expression of hate and he swung his body about instinctively, readying a heavy dagger... However, he was facing an invisible opponent. Jansho Ghostpaw's attack skirted above the mogu's defense, and he slashed the mogu's throat with his kunai. The mogu gurgled in a mix of agony and horror as his lifeblood began to ebb out onto the stones of the camp.

The other slaver turned to investigate the unexpected sounds of sudden death. No longer secure in his stealth, Jansho huddled next to a captive out of the remaining mogu's line of sight and hastily began undoing the ropes holding her in place. It was quick work for one with his skill, and as soon as she was freed, he pointed quickly for her to help her fellows, giving her another kunai to do so. The mogu slaver realized very quickly what had happened to his companion and snarled angrily, "WHICH OF YOU SLAVES DID THIS?!"

"None of us, _sir_." The first captive farmer that had spoken up said smartly, his brow held high despite his bondage. The mogu's face became a rictus of utter wrath and he picked up a spear with which he would stab the offending captive.

"I will make you know agony, then!" The mogu's spear was hefted, ready to strike...when Jansho Ghostpaw slammed into him from the side, knocking the spear away. "Shado-Pan?!" The mogu was both stunned and angry, scuttling for purchase as he recovered from the unexpected attack. "You _will_ die this day!" He staggered upright before Jansho could finish him as he had the earlier mogu, and the Wu Kao rogue cursed mentally as his opponent hefted a broadsword. _Opportunities to finish off powerful opponents such as mogu do not come often. I had better not waste the next one._

"Perhaps. Perhaps not," Jansho responded casually, his hand motions causing his black kunai to fairly dance in his grip, "Let's see what you're made of..." The mogu growled hatefully in his language and rushed the rogue. _A weakness will reveal itself when your opponent makes a foolhardy move._ Shado-Master Zhiyao's advice came to Jansho immediately. _An impetuous opponent often gives too much away...such as how much skill they __**actually**__ possess._ This onrushing mogu was no different. Two hands on the kunai, Jansho prepared to meet his rush, anticipating which of the mogu's feet would be closest to him...

The mogu swung the heavy sword with incredible speed, and the whoosh as the blade cut through the air was tremendous. Jansho couldn't counter a massively powerful blow like that directly, but he could, however, feint away from the strike. Jansho Ghostpaw led to the right, but the mogu's momentum was such that his feint actually ended up gashing two of the mogu's fingers. With a grunt of rage and pain, the mogu shoved the wily rogue away from him. Jansho stumbled but kept his feet, probing the panting mogu's defenses and preparing for his next strike. It mattered not how long this duel took, so long as the captive Pandaren around Jansho were freed. The mogu swung his heavy sword again, but Jansho was able to jump over the slash. The mogu's attack missed wildly, and his sword stuck within a pillar. Jansho Ghostpaw's dark brown eyes widened; he had his opportunity for a free strike. He snap-kicked the mogu _hard_ in the side, and his opponent stumbled away. Unwittingly, the Gormali slaver released his cumbersome weapon. Growling with anger, the mogu switched to a long dagger, and while it was as long as Jansho's forearm, it was quite small in the mogu's grip. Still, it was a weapon. Ghostpaw wheeled about to the right, forcing the mogu to turn to match him. The mogu's back was now to a thick gingko tree...behind which Jansho made out a flicker of movement.

A whirring sound filled the air and both the Gormali slaver and the Wu Kao rogue had their attention distracted by it. A heavy chain suddenly snared out and snatched the mogu about the neck. Jansho made out a pair of thickly-built farmers from the village pulling hard on that chain from behind the tree. Yelling with surprise and attempting to remove the chain, the mogu staggered about and eventually wrenched the chain down from its neck. But the wily farmers yanked it back before the Gormali could extricate himself entirely, and the Gormali clutched desperately at the links that pinned it against the tree. The links cut into the mogu's unprotected chest, and the mogu grunted with exertion just as the Wu Kao Rogue closed in for the kill. Three shuriken gathered in his right hand, Jansho Ghostpaw closed the distance in a handful of strides and released all three shuriken at close range. The mogu's eyes widened with terror and his mouth opened to scream. One of Jansho's shuriken went into the mogu's open mouth, while the other two found their marks in his target's neck. The sudden flow of arterial blood from the mogu's neck wounds told Jansho that he'd landed at least one killing blow, possibly two. But the first was sufficient; the mogu groaned horribly and slumped backwards, death clouding his eyes and claiming his body shortly thereafter.

Jansho looked about the scene suspiciously, trying to find other Gormali. Finding none, he saluted his fallen opponent crisply and realized, _Taran Zhu and the others must have really done a number on the others. I can't hear any other fighting going on. _He took the kunai and set to work freeing the remaining captives that Shao hadn't gotten to. The kunai sliced through a dozen bonds, the keen blade cutting through the rope and finding just the weakness he needed to find in the chains. As he went about, the two freed farmers that had helped him earlier walked to him hesitantly. They both bowed to the Shado-Pan rogue. "Thank you. I...I never thought something like this could happen to our little village." The woman said in a quiet tone.

"It should be somewhat safe for now." Jansho clasped his hands together in a salute. "Head back to the village. Mother Hanae and the others are waiting for you."

"I was just thinking the same thing." Her companion clapped her on the shoulder. "Come on, Xiu. Let's go home." They headed back down the splintered path to Nectarbreeze.

Shao the Defiant came up then, three more freed farmers behind him. "They're both dead?" He said crisply, pointing to the mogu.

"They are." Jansho answered him. "I don't know what happened with the others, but it sounds like we were successful in putting the mogu to flight in this area."

"Good." Shao said quietly. "Some of us may have nightmares about this day, but...we Pandaren were subjected to mogu rule in ancient times." Clasping his hands together, Shao bowed to Jansho. "We'll never let that happen again."

"Indeed." Jansho nodded deeply. "Let's find out how Lord Zhu and the rest did."

Shao nodded, and they headed off through the dispersed camp to find the other Pandaren. The mogu had either been killed or put to flight, and none challenged the growing group of freed farmers as they walked through the remains of the mogu camp. The freed Pandaren farmers looked over their wounds, but most offered complete and sincere thanks to Shao and Jansho as they headed down to the beach where Taran Zhu and the others waited for them.

"I need to find out what happened to my poor dog." A young woman said in a morose tone. "I...I don't know what happened to her when the mogu hit."

"I think I might move to Dawn's Blossom after this." An older male with gray stripes about his nose said quietly. "This is too much excitement for my old bones..."

"Those bindings were so damned tight." Another male stated firmly. "Thank the Celestials for the Shado-Pan and Shao!"

Shao looked a little abashed at all the praise he was getting. Jansho put a hand about his shoulder and said in a low whisper so that only Shao could hear him, "Those you freed will revere you for a long time after today, I think. You stood where others faltered, and you made certain that your fellows didn't languish in captivity."

Shao took those words in. "I'm not sure I'll remember this day fondly." He murmured in a somber tone.

"Perhaps you will, perhaps you won't, but you should be happy that they've been set free." Jansho offered with a squeeze of Shao's shoulder. "The mogu wouldn't have allowed any of them to live very long if they'd gotten their way."

Shao nodded quietly. "Is it always like this for you, Jansho Ghostpaw?"

"Not always. Sometimes I even get to sit down and enjoy my breakfast." Jansho smiled at his own joke, but Shao's face was downcast. Jansho's smile fell and he said in a more serious tone. "No, it's not always like this. The mogu haven't been seen in this area for a long time. For them to attack indicates more serious things may be on the way..."

Shao let out a long breath. "We'll remember this day, that's for certain."

Taran Zhu and the others from the village waited on the shoreline. Taran looked over a dead Gormali mogu, this one much taller than the rest. "This was Subjugator Gormal." Taran said without much preamble. "Presumably, he was the leader of this misbegotten lot."

Jansho saw the vicious throat wound indicative of Taran Zhu's war sword. "He could not have been an easy opponent, Lord Zhu."

"He wasn't." Taran admitted. "Thanks to our friends from Paw'don, Kuang Cloudwalker, and the farmers, the day was ours. The Gormali have been put to flight or defeated." He pointed somberly to a trio of fallen forms. Two Paw'don guardsmen and a female Nectarbreeze farmer lay crumpled on the shore, near two mogu bodies. Kuang Cloudwalker folded the fallen Pandaren's arms over their bodies and bowed his head in sorrow. "But it was not won without cost." Taran concluded in a quiet voice.

"It almost never is." One of the elder farmers who'd accompanied them from Nectarbreeze spoke up, folding her hands over themselves. "I last saw a mogu when I was a child, and that was almost seventy years ago. What brought them back, Lord Zhu?"

"I don't know." Taran Zhu answered the elder softly. "But I promise I'll make every effort to find out."

Kuang Cloudwalker finished the rites of the departed for the three slain Pandaren. "Before he joined the battle...Subjugator Gormal said that he'd found another 'volunteer' for the Thunder King's labor force." The Windwalker Monk's steel-gray eyes were wide with confusion as he considered that now. "What could he have meant?"

Jansho was surprised to see Taran Zhu's golden eyes widen in shock, and then narrow to mere slits. "Nothing good, that much is for certain." He looked about the field of battle. "When I return to Kun-Lai, I will send for a small detachment of the Blackguard to safeguard this area for the foreseeable future. The Shado-Pan will not allow this to happen again." He addressed this last part to the freed farmers.

The ragged group of Pandaren made their way back to Nectarbreeze Orchard, and Shao spoke up once more. "This is...extremely unsettling. If the mogu are banding together like this and striking openly..."

"It's likely not just a regional occurrence." Jansho picked up as Shao's voice trailed off.

"They'll gather their strength across the continent." Taran Zhu spoke in a tone that indicated he knew what was coming all too well. "And then they'll prepare for war." He shook his head, his helmet shifting about slightly as he did so. "I don't know what has caused them to wake up, but the mogu are rising. Your community may have been saved, but others may not be so fortunate." He gave Shao a fierce look. "What you did here today may only be the first efforts in a much larger struggle."

Kuang Cloudwalker, who had remained somewhat silent until now, spoke up. "Taran Zhu, with all due respect, what makes a Pandaren-Mogu conflict any different from the Alliance-Horde War?"

Taran Zhu stopped suddenly. The farmers flowed around him, returning to the village. Jansho and Kuang remained looking to Taran Zhu, whose golden eyes had closed tightly. "Perhaps nothing is so different on the surface." Taran admitted. "But our conflict with the mogu..." He turned to Kuang. "You saw our force. We were from all over the continent, and had never fought alongside each other before. But we fought the mogu out of calm, resolute purpose. They were enslaving our people, and they needed to be stopped. There was no hatred in our steps. Force needed to be met with force." Taran Zhu sighed deeply. "Remember, the Sha did not come boiling out of the ground afterwards."

Kuang caught on at once. "Because the Alliance and the Horde carry their hatred of each other into battle..."

Jansho finished his sentence. "They carry their emotions as surely as they do their battle flags. And the Sha can latch onto their hatred, their violence, and their fear."

"You don't fear the mogu?" Kuang was now even more baffled.

Before Jansho could answer, Taran Zhu did. "I did not carry fear with me this day, Kuang Cloudwalker. I worried for those that fought alongside me, but I had prepared myself for the mogu once I realized we would face them." He pointed to the North. "Can you say the same of the Alliance? Were they truly prepared in their minds for the Horde? Were they prepared for the Sha?"

Kuang Cloudwalker folded his arms together. "I can't say that they were. Many spoke of taking revenge for losses that they'd suffered."

"The Alliance does not fare well in the war, then." Taran filled in the gaps. "Soldiers don't tend to speak of revenge unless they have been dealt a losing hand."

Kuang met Taran Zhu's eyes. "I'm not in a position to say. I only know that they've lost some good people in recent days. Their course in Pandaria hasn't been the best, but perhaps..." Kuang's voice trailed off helplessly as he realized his own words.

Taran Zhu murmured, "Perhaps if those people are as good as you say they are, their course might yet be corrected." They said nothing further as they returned to Nectarbreeze Village at last.

* * *

ON THE ROAD TO THE TEMPLE OF THE JADE SERPENT

EVENING OF THE SIXTH DAY

TARAN ZHU

Taran reflected as the two riding tigers bounded along the roads to the north that he and Jansho had taken their leave of Kuang Cloudwalker twice in the same _day_. Taran Zhu wondered if the young Tushui monk was an ill omen for an instant; battles did seem to break out where he was present. He dismissed that thought as soon as it ran through his mind. Kuang Cloudwalker was a product of his environment: a Tushui monk brought up on the Wandering Isle, and then honed into a masterful Windwalker by the Alliance. There was no denying the young male had skill, but he was not so reckless as to seek conflict. In fact... Taran Zhu felt very uneasy about his next realization. He'd _asked_ Kuang Cloudwalker for his help twice, and both times, it had been given _without_ complaint. _Why am I so suspicious of him, then?_ Kuang did not answer to Taran at the end of the day. Was that what made things so different? He would not hold a similar suspicion towards one of his own fighters, of course, they all answered to him and they held Taran in high regard. Then there had been that question Kuang had asked on the way back to Nectarbreeze. Truly, what made the Alliance-Horde conflict so very different from the Pandaren-Mogu War that had raged almost since the end of the Pandaren Empire? Was there _anything_?

Taran quieted those thoughts. _Kuang__ is an outsider, and I do not know how much he knows of mainland Pandaria. The mogu made __**slaves**__ of our people. They still aspire to their past glories, even though their leaders have been dead for thousands of years. Pandaren cover the land they once ruled._ Taran thought, _f__rom what I saw of the Horde in the north, they __**also**__ aspire to greatness...but unrestrained ambition is not a virtue. It is almost as dangerous as a Sha._

_The Thunder King, though..._

Taran spoke at last. "I did not know that Subjugator Gormal spoke of the 'Thunder King' until Kuang Cloudwalker told us."

Jansho nodded, more as a result of the riding tiger's motions than of his own volition. "As I recall, many mogu monarchs claimed that title. But we only remember one by that name."

"Lei Shen." Taran finished, the name of the first Mogu Emperor seeming to hang on the air and tainting his very tone. They went the rest of the way in silence along the road stretching out to the northwest. They would pass near the Serpent's Heart, unfortunately, they wouldn't be able to see the Jade Serpent's statue in the dark. Dark clouds tugged at the eastern horizon as the sun began to set beyond the distant mountains in the west. The Jade Forest was quieter than it normally was for this time of year. Taran Zhu found the calm quite welcoming, and prayed even as he rode for the release of those the mogu had killed in Nectarbreeze Orchard and in the Gormali Camp.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

Nectarbreeze Orchard has been saved. However, events far on the horizon are just making themselves known. I would think the invocation of the Thunder King would be something that would **_VERY_ **much concern the Shado-Pan.

I totally paraphrased Legion from Mass Effect 2 in the line I gave Jansho ("They will exterminate your species because their gods tell them to. You cannot negotiate with them. They do not share your pity, remorse, or fear.") when he spoke to Shao. The violence in Nectarbreeze happens, but the Sha don't come boiling out of the ground.

Taran Zhu is beginning to feel the tuggings of doubt, and well...you'll have to read on to find out what awaits him next!


	12. The Temple of the Jade Serpent

DAWN OF THE SEVENTH DAY

THE TEMPLE OF THE JADE SERPENT

TARAN ZHU

The early morning brought with it a low fog that loomed over the Temple of the Jade Serpent. The fabulous pillars were wreathed by swirling cloud, illuminated by small orange flames of the previous night's torches. The great orange disc of the morning sun rose over the distant horizon, and the misty clouds swirled up and away. Eventually the sun would burn these away. Birdsong filled the air, and birds of prey climbed into the morning thermals as the new day began, and monks in the service of the Jade Serpent bustled about extinguishing the torches.

Taran Zhu stood on the grounds, his breaths impatient and his eyes roving about the temple. He might have enjoyed the sight of the waking temple on another day, but his business was urgent. He knew the keepers of this temple quite well, and Taran recognized the sleepy eyes of Liu Flameheart as the priestess moved about the temple, making it presentable. She caught sight of him and her sleepy eyes widened with surprise. Hastily she abandoned her dusting tools and came out of the temple to meet them outside. "Taran Zhu!" She said hastily, "I didn't know you were on your way." She bowed to Jansho, who returned the gesture in kind.

"Liu Flameheart, you could not have known." Taran stated simply. "We were in the region. I would speak with Yu'lon, if that is possible."

Liu rubbed at her eyes and yawned. "I'm terribly sorry, but the Jade Serpent is not to be disturbed-"

An elderly looking Pandaren with a measured gait and a proud gray mane of hair about his head walked up from within the temple at that moment. "Liu, what is this about..." He saw Taran Zhu and his eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. "The Lord of the Shado-Pan himself walks among us! What is the cause for this honor?" He stood next to Liu.

Taran recognized the elder. "Lorewalker Stonestep, I came to speak with Yu'lon. According to Yu'lon's priestess, however..."

Stonestep gave Liu a severe look. "I'm sure the Jade Serpent wouldn't mind hearing from one who bears important news _and_ seeks her advice."

Liu gave him a helpless look in return. "But..."

"No buts, young one! _Inside_ you go!" Stonestep insisted.

Unhappiness flooded Liu's face. "I am not so young, Lorewalker."

"You are to _me_." Stonestep held his head high, the monocle he wore glinting in the sun.

Liu Flameheart shook her head disgustedly and walked back into the Temple. Taran was confused by her behavior. "She wasn't like that the last time I was here."

"She and Mari, the temple's jinyu guardian, have had...issues in recent days." Stonestep admitted quietly, cautiously. "Liu's normally not so bereft of energy."

"Mari?" Taran was surprised. "I thought Jelav was the waterspeaker..."

Stonestep nodded. "Jelav returned to the Pearlfin Village unexpectedly a decade back. Wise Mari took his place."

"Wisdom is in the eye of the beholder, isn't it?" Jansho quipped. Taran gave him a stern look.

Stonestep, however, laughed aloud. "Your rogue sees the truth! One who walks amongst shadows must be able to divine that which others do not want them to see!"

"You speak in riddles, good Lorewalker." Jansho shook his head confusedly.

Stonestep held up a hand and his laughter ceased. "That was...a quotation from an old Emperor's tale. Only one who has devoted as much time to a library as myself would truly understand it."

"Perhaps." Taran Zhu said impatiently. "What is the wait?"

"Yu'lon prepares for the next passage..." Stonestep answered after a moment's pause, adjusting his monocle. "She is exhausted, and awaits a successor. Lord Zhu, you are far from the first person to have come here seeking her advice. Liu is at her wit's end trying to accommodate everyone, and of course Yu'lon cannot see all who wish to see her."

Taran nodded quietly. "It seems our journey may have been in vain, then."

Suddenly Liu emerged from within the temple. She bowed and beckoned them in. "The Jade Serpent will speak to you, Taran Zhu, Lord of the Shado-Pan, and your companion as well...if he so wishes."

Taran nodded, but Jansho Ghostpaw was shocked. "I...I didn't ask to see her."

Liu lifted her head high and stated in a lofty tone, "She said you might appreciate the opportunity. Yu'lon does not offer these chances often."

Jansho said nothing further and sat down cross-legged. "I will wait for you out here, Lord Zhu." Taran nodded and headed inside.

"Will you take the Jade Serpent's offer for counsel?" Stonestep asked as Taran made his way into the temple. He didn't catch Jansho's reply, but the rogue would have to be a fool to reject it. And from what Taran had seen of Jansho these past few days, he was no fool.

* * *

A young Pandaren woman awaited Taran inside a tall sweeping sanctum. Liu Flameheart took her leave of Lord Zhu at that time, explaining in an abashed tone, "What she has to say to you is for your ears alone, Lord Zhu."

Taran nodded once more. The Pandaren woman considered him and sat down in the center of the room, cross-legged, jade streaks in her hair. Taran knew this image of the Jade Serpent well, even though he'd only met her twice; once as a child in the company of his family, and the next time as an adult shortly after his father's passing from this life. "Lady Yu'lon." He bowed and stepped closer to her, standing some ten paces away.

Fei, the name that Yu'lon preferred when she took Pandaren form, gestured for him to sit as well. "I must see your face for myself, Taran Zhu, to see if you are the same as the last time you came this way." She indicated for him to remove the helmet and his scarf.

"I was a young man in those days, Lady Yu'lon." Taran answered her with strained patience in his tone. It was a foolish request, was it not? He inclined his head towards her in a low bow, unconsciously shielding his eyes with his helmet. "And while your eyes have seen much..."

"Look up." Fei commanded sternly. Taran at once did so. "I _insist_ upon this courtesy, Taran Zhu." Fei said in a tone that would brook no argument. Taran Zhu politely removed the helmet of his order and unraveled the scarf about his neck. He closed his eyes and bowed to her once more as he finished doing so. The vestige of Yu'lon seemed sorrowful as she met his eyes. "Your youth was spent before its time." She murmured quietly, sorrowfully. "Yet you are still quite handsome. Why do you shield yourself in such a way from the eyes of others?"

"Because..." Taran's voice trailed off. "It was something that my grandfather wore, or so I was told by the elders of the Shado-Pan when I was a cub. My father never wore it. I often wish he _had_."

"So you wear your order's symbol to spite your father?" Yu'lon's Pandaren image asked in a voice touched by inmost laughter. She knew the real reason, even if Taran no longer did himself. "You are indeed stubborn, Taran Zhu." She shook her head sadly.

Taran was indignant at this point, but Yu'lon was _not_ someone who could be argued with. He dismissed the shallow anger. _It is not my place to second guess an August Celestial. I may disagree with them, but I cannot disobey them. That is an exercise of the ego... _ He met Fei's eyes. "Jade Serpent, surely you did not call me here to reproach me. I came here with a purpose."

Fei tilted her head slightly to the side. "Indeed."

Taran spoke once more. "Outsiders from beyond this land of mists have landed in the northern and southern reaches of the Jade Forest. They wage war against one another, and their war is merely fuel for the Sha."

Fei considered that. "You came to warn me of their potential to destroy that which your order has so long protected. Yet it took you almost two weeks to respond to their presence. Your order was not ready for them." Fei's voice was contemplative, not accusatory.

Taran lowered his gaze. "The Shado-Pan were not ready for them, no." Taran admitted freely. "We failed the continent in that regard. But we cannot fail in our duty to protect this land from the Sha that these outsiders unleash."

"How far are you willing to go to accomplish such a goal?" Fei asked suddenly, standing up and walking to him. "You must be cautious. Have you explained what the Sha are to these outsiders?" Taran remained seated; the Pandaren image of the Jade Serpent seemed to tower over him like a mother looking over a young child.

"Yes." Taran answered her. "I do not know if they listened."

Fei shook her head sadly. "You possess knowledge that they do not. You see them as children in your mind's eye. I say they may know that which _you_ do not. And both of you are stubborn. It may take a much harder slap to awaken those set in their ways...that applies to both the outsiders and yourself." Fei sighed, and her glittering green jade eyes met his own and locked his gaze upon her. "Do not seek to convince them by yourself, Taran Zhu." Taran's next thought collapsed before it could form as he stared into the Jade Serpent's eyes. He nodded mutely. "They will awaken to the truth, given time. But their learning will be as painful as yours was, if not more so." Fei knelt and gently took his chin in her left hand. She drew his gaze up to meet hers once more, but Taran Zhu did not resist. Her touch was cool against his chin...like that of a dew-wrapped flower against his fur. "I can sense the doubts in you..."

"I do not doubt." Taran responded firmly.

"Yet it hangs in your eyes. A question has been asked." Fei released her gentle grip. "And it was asked in such a way that it causes you to question yourself."

Taran said nothing as Yu'lon returned to where she had sat earlier. The image of the Pandaren female assumed a regal sitting position, folding her arms together and clasping them over her knees. "You are not omnipotent, Taran Zhu." She said quietly. "The Sha worry you as a result. If you _were_ all-powerful, you would annihilate them outright."

Taran thought that answer should be obvious. "I would do so because they are a menace to my people, and to this land."

"But what good would it do you to destroy the Sha, only to _become_ one in the process?!" Fei's tone was impossibly calm given her words, but the speed with which she spoke was one of an adult speaking to a young child. Taran looked down once more in shame. "Meet my eyes, Taran Zhu. Grant me such courtesy." He looked up once more and fulfilled her command. "I appreciate your warning about these outsiders. I must judge them for myself; you have already made up your mind as to what they are." In a more severe tone, she stated, "Your mind _must_ be more flexible than that. They are capable of learning, but not if you treat them as children after they have been awakened to the horror."

In truth, Taran Zhu was quite skeptical, yet held it to himself. Yu'lon sensed this and continued speaking, her tone becoming less severe. "There will come such a time and place that the Alliance and Horde are _truly_ exposed to the horror that the sha represent. It was noble of you and within your duties to defend your people and them from the Sha in Honeydew and in Paw'don, but..." Her voice trailed off before the image continued, "Perhaps because of your intervention, the outsiders still don't truly understand the capabilities of the Sha. Once they do, they _will_ seek out your guidance."

"What would you recommend, Lady Yu'lon?" Taran asked quietly, taking her words into consideration. His fur underneath his tiger pauldron suddenly began itching and he scratched at it with his left hand.

Fei said firmly, "I offer my advice, but I know well you will not like it." Taran Zhu inwardly braced himself. "You must shift your own position on the outsiders. When they see what the Sha can do when they go unopposed, the outsiders will cease to be children in this land. They will have to become students in the art of resisting the Sha. If anyone would know that students can be taught a great many things, it would be you. However...the students can only be taught so long as their teacher is willing to instruct them." She pointed at him. Taran Zhu nodded once more. His neck was sore, in truth, but the advice of an August Celestial was worth a thousand sore necks.

"I shall take your words into consideration, Lady Yu'lon." Taran bowed his head. "There was another thing that I wished to tell you, Jade Serpent." Fei nodded. "We fought Gormali Mogu in Nectarbreeze Orchard. They spoke of the Thunder King."

Fei seemed to stiffen in her pose. "It would seem that Lei Shen's people have not forgotten him, even after so _many _long years of dust and silence." She said simply, foreboding in her tone. She stared very sadly at Taran Zhu. "You are so young, yet you have not been hardened to the point where you will be shattered by a single blow. Remain resilient: the coming days will put everything you are and everything you know to the test. Remain strong in yourself." She looked out towards the sea. "Taran Zhu, I do not know why the mists have parted, but so many children of the Turtle have at last returned to their homeland. That should be cause for joy." Fei offered him a quiet look. "They and the outsiders must be judged on their individual merits. Anything else...would be a disservice to them and us as well." She stood. "I have said all that I needed to say, Taran Zhu. I shall not forget our talk this day."

Taran Zhu took up the scarf and wrapped it about his neck, replacing the helmet atop his head a moment later. He stood to his feet and bowed to the image of the Jade Serpent, remaining quiet as he walked through the halls of Yu'lon's temple.

All the while, he wondered...what was the _real_ meaning of her words? She had said so much, given him proper counsel...yet his mind was muddling it all up. He passed the containment chamber of the Sha of Doubt and gave the writhing spirit within a dark glance. He'd have to think of these things later, when something that powerful wasn't actively trying to pry at his mind.

* * *

JANSHO GHOSTPAW

Jansho had quite the interesting conversation with Lorewalker Stonestep after Lord Zhu had headed inside the Temple. He sat cross-legged outside the grounds, watching a single great eagle soaring on a thermal overhead. The fog had burned away for the most part under the morning sun, and wispy clouds began to drift in from sea. After about half an hour, the bookish lorewalker had vanished inside the temple and then returned with some breakfast. Nothing too fanciful, merely some rice with a sweet sauce drizzled over it, but it was still food and Jansho enjoyed Stonestep's company.

"We've had a good year thus far." Stonestep said easily. "Matters are better than they were last year; the harvest looks to be a great one from the orchards..."

Jansho shook his head. "It may not be as great as you hope, Lorewalker. The Alliance and the Horde conflict did quite a bit of damage to Honeydew Village and Paw'don."

Stonestep was horrified. "But...that's the bulk of the fruit! At least Nectarbreeze is fine..." Jansho spluttered on his rice and Stonestep gave him a woe-ridden look. "Please tell me that Nectarbreeze is all right, Ghostpaw..."

"It isn't." Jansho said quietly after he had finished swallowing the morsels that hadn't gone down the first time around, washing them down with a glass of juice that the Lorewalker had provided. "The Gormali attacked the village and killed several farmers. If not for Kuang Cloudwalker, they'd have burned most of the trees too."

"Celestials..." Stonestep's already gray complexion grew even paler. "Thank goodness for your Tushui friend." He grunted approvingly.

"Lord Zhu, Kuang, several guards from Paw'don, a few farmers from Nectarbreeze, and I fought them off." Jansho concluded. "But the mogu killed three of ours in exchange for ten of theirs. You may see a few farmers who have left Nectarbreeze on the road to Dawn's Blossom."

"Yes..." Stonestep's voice was low, full of worry. "I suppose we will. And if they come this way looking for aid, we'll be sure to help those poor people out."

Taran Zhu at long last emerged from the Temple. Jansho, who had finished eating, stood to his feet. "Lord Zhu." He bowed his head. Taran nodded simply and joined them out on the lawn.

Taran gestured back inside the temple. "I have done what I intended to do here. If you wish to receive the Jade Serpent's counsel, I believe she awaits you inside." He sat down morosely.

Liu Flameheart appeared where Taran Zhu had just come from. "Jansho Ghostpaw." She said, almost as though she were an automaton. There was so little emotion in her voice. Jansho stood, his Shado-Pan uniform shifting about his now-full stomach as he rose from his seated position. He was sated and satisfied.

"Until next time, Lorewalker Stonestep." He bowed to the Lorewalker as he walked inside. He expected they would continue their journey today as soon as he heard what the Jade Serpent had to say to him. Stonestep smiled somberly as Jansho walked inside, and commenced talking with Lord Zhu. From what little Jansho heard, it was a rather one-sided conversation...Taran only replied to the questions that could be answered with 'yes' or 'no'.

* * *

"I'm curious, Liu..." Jansho posed as they walked through the temple's ornate halls. "How much sleep have you gotten?"

"Not nearly enough." Liu admitted sadly. "Between having to train those who tend to Yu'lon's children and those Cloud Serpent Riders, along with making sure the Jade Serpent isn't disturbed by fools who want her blessing for their ill-advised business adventures, I get about four hours of sleep a night."

Jansho's eyes widened. "That's far from healthy. You look like you've lost some weight..." He observed casually. "You should have a dumpling."

Liu Flameheart smiled at the old joke. "I could stand to gain a few pounds," she agreed, "but a dumpling wouldn't help with how little rest I get."

"Insomnia is _no_ defense against the Sha, Liu Flameheart." A deep, ethereal voice seemed to say. Jansho realized that they had arrived wherever they had needed to arrive. A Pandaren woman with streaks of greenish hair sat in the middle of the room, arms spread in a meditative posture.

"The Jade Serpent will speak with you." Liu bowed. "I cannot be present for her counsel; it is for you alone, Jansho Ghostpaw of the Wu Kao."

He was left alone, a Shado-Pan rogue with a mysterious woman in front of him. She beckoned to him with one hand. "You do not conceal your face from the eyes of others." The woman observed in a voice that was utterly calm.

"I only conceal myself in combat, gracious lady." He answered the woman with a simple bow, sitting twelve paces away from her. She met his eyes, her deep, impossibly green spheres of wisdom greeting his gaze.

The woman nodded after a brief silence. "I should, perhaps, make things clear, as we have never met before this day. I have heard your voice praying for my guidance in days long since spent, however." She inclined her head. "I am Fei, the avatar of Yu'lon."

Jansho's eyes widened with surprise. "I am most awestruck at meeting you in person, Lady Yu'lon." He bowed in his seated position.

"I am pleased to meet you in the flesh, Jansho Ghostpaw of the Wu Kao." When his eyes flickered with surprise, she smiled disarmingly. "You need not worry. I knew your name long before you set foot on the road that you walk upon. It was spoken when your parents sought your survival of the Trial of the Red Blossoms."

"You speak in riddles..." Jansho observed aloud. "Yet you hear every prayer that is offered to you?"

"Indeed." Fei seemed to laugh. "Perhaps my speech is an old habit, and perhaps it is one that I will not have in my next body. You know that even now, the great statue is being built." She met his eyes. "But it is being built at an inopportune season."

"Why is that?" Jansho inquired, getting sucked into the flow of Yu'lon's riddles. "The ritual has been completed many times successfully despite the weather, despite every tremor that shakes this land. What makes this time so different?"

"The charge I was given awakens." Fei answered simply, her tones almost maddeningly calm. The importance of what she said was not lost upon Jansho. "And before you ask, I did not tell Taran Zhu of this." At the unspoken why that was surely in Jansho's brown eyes, Fei sighed. "I do not explain myself often, even to those I grow close to, Jansho of the Wu Kao. You may not remember this immediately, but you will in days to come..." She beckoned him forward, and Jansho came closer to her. "It is a test."

"Your regeneration is a test?" Jansho was extremely baffled.

Fei's eyes widened with happiness at having been understood at once. Jansho shrugged, and Fei spoke once more. "I have watched over this land for so long, Jansho Ghostpaw. I see the outsiders marking it for their own purposes, and the land does not respect their claims. Lands seldom do." Fei met his eyes, those impossibly green irises focusing once more on him. "They will come here. And **I** shall be able to judge the content of their character for myself."

"You must _want_ the outsiders to come, then." Jansho concluded.

Fei smiled once more. "I have spoken to your people for so long, advised them at the keystones of their history...but I am eager to learn of the world beyond this continent, even if I cannot leave it because of my duties."

Jansho nodded contemplatively. "I appreciate that the Jade Serpent has shared this with me, even if I don't understand half of it."

"You admit your flaws readily..." Fei held a hand to her chin. "How interesting. Not many Shado-Pan are willing to do so."

"I committed myriad mistakes on the road that I walked to get here." Jansho responded to the Jade Serpent. "I would hope they have humbled me."

Fei clapped her hands together and smiled again. "Yet those mistakes have made you the person that you are. I do hope your fortitude inspires others."

Jansho let out a long breath. "I can only hope so as well." Jansho admitted, bowing his head. "I do not mean to press the patience of the Jade Serpent, but...may I ask a question? It has bothered me for many months now."

Fei inclined her head. "You may. My answer, of course, may not be what you desire."

"I need _an_ answer. Whether or not it is one I want to hear is immaterial." Fei nodded serenely, but Jansho suddenly knelt, and then prostrated himself before Fei. "Jade Serpent...what happened to my son, Ruun Ghostpaw?" He had the chance to find out.

Fei's answer sent a chill though his spine. "Ruun Ghostpaw follows a path that was unclear from its outset. Now, he walks in the shadows of a distant temple. But he endures...just as you did."

Jansho looked up and now simply knelt, no longer prostrating himself. "But he lives?"

"He does." Fei answered him simply. Her eyes suddenly narrowed. "Interesting..." Her voice trailed off.

"May I ask what is so interesting, Lady Yu'lon?" Jansho asked. The knowledge that his beloved son still lived was encouraging, but if there was something more, something that could help him find Ruun...that would be better yet.

Fei's eyes opened to their normal width. "Chi-Ji roams far from his usual places." Fei shrugged diffidently. "Celestials, of course, walk where they will. And much like your son, Chi-Ji follows a path that is unclear as well." She gestured for him to rise. "I have told you what you needed to know, Jansho Ghostpaw. I hope it will prove useful in your quest."

Jansho Ghostpaw left the Temple of the Jade Serpent, secure in the knowledge that his son was alive. There was alacrity in his quiet treads.

* * *

YU'LON, THE JADE SERPENT.

Through the eyes of her Pandaren avatar, Yu'lon watched Jansho Ghostpaw depart. She shook her head. "I wish I could have told you more, but it would not help you, Jansho. Too much information is often as damaging as too little. Only you can make sense of what to do from here." She cast a glance above. She had a guest...one that neither Taran Zhu nor Jansho Ghostpaw had sensed. "I have known you for a very long time, but never have I known you to be so _quiet_." She murmured to her guest.

"It would have been rude to disturb your counsel, Jade Serpent. They did not come to see me, after all." There was no sound as her guest descended to the floor where she sat. "And I have not taken my Pandaren form since Lei Shen shackled it to my temple in Kun-Lai." Yu'lon smiled. It was not often that Xuen, the White Tiger, walked outside of Kun-Lai, but he was a fiercely independent spirit. He too walked where he was needed, not where his servants wanted.

"You need not apologize." Yu'lon answered. "I wonder how long it will take your servants to notice your departure, though."

The White Tiger shrugged and said simply, "I felt the stirrings of darkness in the one trusted to do the most for the sake of this land."

"Taran Zhu..." Yu'lon realized the riddle of Xuen's words and unraveled it in a mere instant.

"Yes." Xuen replied, then inclining his great head. "Darkness gathers in the lands beyond. Our faithful servants are to be tested." His voice trailed off. "The shadow of death does not lie upon Taran Zhu. That much I see. But our foe _shall_ put him to the test..."

"Should we act?" Yu'lon asked quietly, concern creeping into her voice. "He commands more respect than any Pandaren since Shaohao's time. His loss would be devastating. There is no one yet who can replace him."

Xuen shook his head gravely. "Only _he_ can answer the test. If we interfere, we may cause more harm to him. If he fails, we _must_ act. And should he succeed, he will be a stronger person for it." There was a strange smile on the face of the White Tiger. "I wonder how much of your words he will remember when the time comes, Jade Serpent."

Yu'lon stiffened. The presence that she had been assigned to guard had strengthened itself abruptly. "My charge awakens, Xuen." She warned. "It is stronger than it was even in the days of Shaohao. Soon, not even this place will be safe."

"My own charges awaken." Xuen said quietly. "I shall return to my home in Kun-Lai. I will seek out Chi-Ji before I do so, however." With a bow of his great head, the White Tiger of Pandaria suddenly leaped to the window and soon flew across the air itself. He chose such a path that would not allow other Pandaren save those on their fishing boats to see him.

Yu'lon smiled, and prepared herself for the days ahead. For now, she would rest.


	13. Of Loose Ends, Part 1

SHADO-PAN MONASTERY

EVENING OF THE SEVENTH DAY

MASTER SNOWDRIFT

Wan Snowdrift parried the efforts of Blackguard Battlemaster Khagara Jiang, and the sting of the approaching night air was bizarrely welcome against his fur. The combined grunts and shouts as they exchanged attacks and shifted defenses filled the air of the Monastery. A small crowd of Blackguard students stood about, observing every move and shouting words of encouragement for the Master of the Blackguard Discipline and the Blackguard Battlemaster. Small flurries of snow, little more than diamond dust, swept through the air. Snowdrift was in his element, and Jiang knew it. There was something akin to regret on her face, but given she wore the helmet and facial scarf of the Shado-Pan, Wan could only tell that through her eyes. She had chosen her environment, but she had chosen it poorly.

"You can handle him, Master Jiang!" A young male Blackguard Disciple, probably two years away from being found worthy to serve in the field, yelled.

"Master Snowdrift won't lose this!" Chao the Voice, one of Khagara's former apprentices and one of the best, boomed out in response.

Another female, whose voice he did not recognize, yelled to Chao, "Bet you a keg that Khagara takes him down!"

"You're on!" Chao responded.

He ignored them for the most part. As it was, Khagara Jiang was always a tough opponent, and any encouragement was welcome. Khagara had answered Snowdrift's challenge in the traditional manner; she'd declared her acceptance of Snowdrift's challenge and chosen her weapon. They had faced off, Khagara using a long wooden training sword while Snowdrift chose a quarterstaff. Snowdrift actually couldn't recall what happened next after their initial blows, their battle had been such a blur in both his vision and his mind...a wild fracas resulted. Eventually, the fight was taken out of his own dojo and, and it now raged in the open air of the Monastery ground. Swirling winds whipped about as Snowdrift smacked Jiang's hands with one end of the staff. She grunted, and Snowdrift swept away her heavy wooden sword a moment later using the other end of the staff. Before he could take advantage of his opponent's lack of a weapon, however, Khagara's open palm strike slammed against his chest and drove him backwards. It was as though she'd imbued her attack with the power of a driving gale...which was smart. She hastily grasped the wooden sword and attempted to take advantage of Snowdrift's extended stagger, and swung hard. The deafening crack as wooden weapons collided silenced the crowd momentarily. Snowdrift stepped back, evading two quick thrusts, and saluted with the staff, taunting Khagara into making the first move. _I will not be defeated, even by this master of the fighting arts._

Khagara's next strike was unconventional, almost like a fisherman's cast, and Snowdrift was just a second too late to realize that he'd been wrong-footed. He staggered backwards, partially of his own volition, partially to shrug off her attack. His eyes narrowed as Khagara Jiang stepped in for the offensive...and her attack missed entirely. Snowdrift stepped in towards her, and with a hefty smack with the upper end of the staff, knocked Khagara flat on her back. Gasping for breath, she shook her head furiously and tried to regain her senses. The crowd roared with applause, only for Snowdrift to silence them by planting his staff hard and clapping both hands together. "ENOUGH! She has proven her worth." He helped her to her feet graciously, and the Battlemaster bowed. "Learn from this." He said to her. "You are one of our best hand-to-hand fighters and I will see where you can be put to best use."

Khagara bowed. She was not the sort of person who stewed over this sort of thing, and the fact that Snowdrift had found her worthy in defeat meant quite a bit. "Thank you, Master Snowdrift. I will prepare myself."

"You are indeed worthy of fighting among our best, Khagara Jiang of the Blackguard." Snowdrift bowed to her in turn. "Return your weapon to the dojo for now, and then speak with Yalia." Khagara Jiang, Blackguard Battlemaster, bowed once more. She made her way through the dispersing crowd of students, some of whom realized they'd be in for a browbeating from Snowdrift if they didn't return to their own duties. Some offered her encouragement, but Khagara Jiang held her head high as she headed off towards the Snowdrift Dojo.

With the duel over, the crowd dispersed about the Monastery. Yalia Sagewhisper, who had viewed the proceedings from atop a nearby wall with a disapproving eye, now descended with incredible grace and strode up to Wan, her eyes glinting in the twilight. "You know her tendencies. And she still managed an impressive performance that took you out of your own dojo..." She smiled slightly. "Yet she put you into your element. A mistake on her part, and one she will be careful not to repeat."

"I know. Khagara threw some improvised techniques at me and I will have to adapt to them." Snowdrift nodded, sitting down where he stood and gripping the staff he'd used earlier to lower himself. "I hope she can inspire some of those at Rensai's Watchpost. They've been getting a tad sloppy..." He let out a long breath. "And failure to perform is not something we need at this time."

Sagewhisper joined him on the lawn of the Monastery. "Aniria's condition has recovered to the point I feel comfortable discharging her." She did not smile as she observed, "Her assailant remains confined to his quarters."

"His name is Zarai." Snowdrift stated coldly. "And yes, Gu has come down on him severely for his failings."

"The punishment is appropriate for his crime." Yalia admitted after a brief, extremely uncomfortable pause. "He'll be scrubbing pots for at least three months."

"Are _you_ satisfied?" Wan Snowdrift asked in a quiet voice.

Yalia let out a long sigh. Another pause settled between them. "I am not sure what to think. I felt anger when I saw how badly Aniria had been beaten...but my anger accomplishes nothing if it is blind. Zarai has been stripped of his position as a Warden, and will be forced to begin from the ground up." She shrugged. "I will have to consider the matter more and calm my mind before I do so. Pointless anger accomplishes nothing."

"Indeed." Wan stated. There was a sudden commotion, followed by a loud yell of alarm. Wan Snowdrift's eyes opened wide. "What could this be?" Snowdrift murmured aloud, standing to his feet. Something was _very_ clearly wrong.

"Could that have come from the Sealed Chambers?" Yalia asked, her voice calm, but her tone reflecting the urgency.

"I think it must have." Snowdrift was less than thrilled by this prospect. He stood at once. "Come, let's see what is going on..."

They hurried towards the building as quickly as they could. But long before they arrived, there was a massive roaring noise that filled the air, and suddenly, a black form hurtled from the Sealed Chambers. Upwards it went, soaring ominously over the Monastery walls. Snowdrift felt every hair stand on end as the dark cloud vanished into the swirling clouds of the evening sky. A solid stream of flame leapt after it, but it was too little, too late. Snowdrift shook his head disgustedly as he realized what had happened in that moment as the distant clouds seemed to cackle.

Yalia Sagewhisper's face was filled with horror. "_That_ was the Sha of Anger, Snowdrift."

"Fleeing the scene," Snowdrift growled, "and that's all we needed. One of Xuen's charges breaking away from here and causing chaos _elsewhere_..."

Several Omnia mages scrambled about the outside of the Sealed Chambers, their conversations escalating into an indistinct babble. Yalia silenced them be slamming a pillar of chi that she summoned with her bare hands into the ground. The Master of Omnia asked loudly, "What happened within the Chambers, Omnia?!"

One of her more promising students knelt at her feet, his hands folded over each other helplessly. "Master Sagewhisper, the Sha of Anger escaped confinement. It looked like a Warden-Commander and demanded we respect it."

Another Omnia student shook her head. "I don't know who that was, but it was clearly someone disguised as a Shado-Pan. Their speech was strange..."

Other voices spoke up, and Yalia Sagewhisper silenced them once more with a loud clap of her hands, lifting the student who bowed at her feet to a standing position. "Panicking will solve nothing!" She snapped, her normally calm veneer falling away in the face of the sudden disaster that had just occurred. "Who was on duty here this night?" Yalia asked firmly.

Fei-Li, whom Snowdrift recognized on sight, stood forward, along with seven other Omnia mages. There was shame in their stances. "We were, Master Sagewhisper." Fei-Li said in a quiet voice. Normally she was more boisterous, but considering what had just happened, Snowdrift understood her cowed state completely.

Yalia's implacable expression returned. "I see. Fei-Li, you are the oldest of these young ones. What do you remember?"

"It was hotter than usual, Master. I remember that the chamber containing the Sha of Anger suddenly seemed to...shift." Fei-Li paused for lack of a better word. "There was a loud crashing noise, and suddenly there was another Shado-Pan in that room..." She shook her head. "But not really. He wore the uniform of a Warden, but the face was...strange. Like two people melded into one..."

Snowdrift caught on. "The Sha must have disguised itself using those it had drawn much power from."

Fei-Li nodded at once. "I didn't recognize them, but they said that they needed to be freed from this place. Then the person ran over Raika and transformed into a full-blown Sha..." She shuddered. "I don't know what would have happened if it hadn't been so determined to just _leave_."

Master Sagewhisper shook her head now. "You probably wouldn't be alive...not just you, Fei-Li, but any of you, for that matter." She sighed. "We must inform Lord Zhu upon his return."

"The warning has to go out to the rest of Kun-Lai." Snowdrift decided then. "We were fortunate in that the Sha of Anger didn't kill any of the ones on duty in the Chambers, but we can't allow something that powerful to go on the loose." He shook his great head. "Chaos would result, that much is for certain."

Yalia looked about the Omnia. "We will discuss what happened later, Omnia. You are **all** fortunate to be alive. I will change the guard in the Chambers. You will meditate on what happened this night, so as to make sure that it does not happen again. Steel yourself against Violence and Hatred." She clapped her hands together in the Shado-Pan salute. "Discipline is the only way we will get through this."

"Of course, Master Sagewhisper." Twelve voices spoke as one, the eight that had been on duty and the four Omnia that had been nearby. Yalia looked to Snowdrift and sighed again. She seemed to be asking him, _how will Lord Zhu respond to this?_

Snowdrift was at a loss for words. He thought to himself, _we have no choice but to move on from this...If we don't, we are in for an inconceivably great deal of trouble._ After a moment, he found his voice once more. "Yalia, I will assemble a team of Blackguard to hunt that thing down. We will need the help of your Omnia if we are to bring it down."

Yalia Sagewhisper nodded, but pointed at the still-falling snow of the now-descended night. "Given conditions tonight, it may take us a few days to get the team ready, but we shall do so regardless, Wan." She bowed to her students. "We shall not falter in the face of evil, Shado-Pan." The Omnia bowed back to her.

There was a monumental creaking and groaning on the other side of the Monastery. "The Cloudstrike Dojo..." Snowdrift had lived here long enough to know the sounds of the Monastery doors the instant they reached his ears.

"Perhaps Ling or Nurong have returned." Yalia suggested.

"We'll find out soon enough." Snowdrift began walking towards the great gates of the Monastery. He passed many students who discussed the commotion that had occurred barely a few minutes beforehand. He sighed inwardly; he'd have to address the Shado-Pan collected here sooner rather than later, to make sure that the setback of the Sha of Anger's escape did not become a complete disaster.

He arrived at the Cloudstrike Dojo, only to nearly get run over by Hawkmaster Nurong, who emerged from within hastily. Only Snowdrift's ability to sense sudden motion kept him from getting run over by the burly Hawkmaster. Nurong, normally an affable soul with a smile on his face, was instead morose and his good eye shrouded by grief. He met Snowdrift's eyes and apologized at once. "My deepest apologies, Wan. Taoshi and I have returned from the Valley of the Four Winds."

Snowdrift nodded. "Apology accepted, Nurong. What news do you bring?"

"Very little of it is good." Taoshi stepped out of the Cloudstrike Dojo now and into the night air. "We met up with Che Wildwalker of the Golden Lotus, who assisted us in our investigation of the missing patrol. With his help, we managed to find our missing patrol."

Wan Snowdrift sucked in a breath. He had his worries ever since he'd heard of that missing patrol. "What did you find, Taoshi and Nurong?"

Nurong's good eye locked with Snowdrift's gaze. He reported solemnly, "The mogu kidnapped them from atop the wall, and then hauled them away in the late evening hours without making a sound. They then took the patrol to a ritual cave in the jungle, where they drove their spirits from their bodies and captured them. They left the bodies behind." Nurong looked down, and then met Snowdrift's eye.

Taoshi spoke up. "Wherever the mogu went afterwards, we do not know. They concealed their tracks too well, but they left a quilen in the area...which Che Wildwalker killed." There was a strange, grim satisfaction in her voice, and Nurong gave her a quick glance as he recognized that at the same time Snowdrift did.

The Blackguard Master nodded somberly. "I am sorry to hear about the loss of the patrol. I worried that since Loon Mai's report of their disappearance made it to the Monastery that those unfortunate three might have been killed by the damnable mantid..." He held a hand to his brow. "But the _mogu_...that was not something I foresaw happening. I wonder what Lord Zhu will have to say." He met Nurong's gaze. "It is good to see you return in health, Hawkmaster. The Sha of Anger has fled the Monastery." Bitterness crept into his voice. It had been his responsibility, hadn't it?

Taoshi's eyes widened with shock. Worry crept onto her normally implacable features. "The Sha of Anger is gone, Snowdrift?" She sighed wearily. Snowdrift confirmed this with a tight nod, and Taoshi straightened up. "I will be glad to assist in that foul being's destruction."

Nurong gave Taoshi a quick shake of his head, before looking to Snowdrift. "That evil thing has fled from here, and Taran Zhu is _not_ here?" Nurong asked, worry evident in his voice.

"No, he isn't." Snowdrift said after a moment. He turned to see that Yalia Sagewhisper had arrived at last, with Fei-Li following not far behind her.

"Thank the Celestials you're both in good health." Yalia shook her head. "Has Master Snowdrift told you what happened, Nurong?"

"Yes, he has, Yalia." Nurong replied.

Taoshi spoke up, "I would be honored to lead the team tasked to defeat the Sha of Anger, Masters."

Yalia gave her a severe glance. "If you intend to leave for such a duty this very night, it would be foolish." Taoshi met her gaze before Snowdrift held up a hand.

Snowdrift met Nurong's gaze, then Taoshi's. "We will need to discuss recent events with you now that you've returned, Hawkmaster."

"I look forward to hearing of them." Nurong nodded at once, his topknot bobbing in the falling snowflakes. Some settled in the Hawkmaster's hair, but others twirled to the ground...none joined together. Snowdrift was heartened by Nurong's return, even if the news he brought was unfortunate. The Shado-Pan would surely need a combined offensive of Blackguard, Wu Kao, Omnia, and Stormbringers...especially if they were to succeed in their efforts to defeat the Sha of Anger.

* * *

ON THE ROAD TO TIAN MONASTERY

JANSHO GHOSTPAW

Despite their best efforts to arrive at Tian before mid-afternoon, Taran Zhu and Jansho Ghostpaw were again frustrated by the close of a quick day. Night had closed upon them so suddenly that it hardly seemed the sun had set before deep darkness swept over them both. However, the good news was that the twinkling lights of Tian were drawing closer to them as they walked down the path, both Shado-Pan giving their tigers a break for about a half-mile. The great cats were grateful for the opportunity and Qagaora rubbed her nose against Jansho's leg. The Wu Kao rogue smiled and patted the tiger on the forehead in return.

"Jansho..." Taran said suddenly in a low voice. "If you do not mind my asking, were you able to find out any more about your son?"

Jansho's breath caught in his chest. There it was. The unvoiced concern could not be stuffed back into the virmen hole so easily. "The Jade Serpent didn't give me a great deal to go on, but she did give me three clues, Lord Zhu." Taran nodded, and Jansho shrugged. "She said that he was still alive, he walked amidst a distant temple, and that Chi-Ji was far from his usual haunts. But there wasn't much else to go on. I'm sure Yu'lon has her reasons for not giving more information, or giving me none at all."

"The Red Crane..." Taran held a hand to his chin. "She wanted you to ultimately succeed in your aims."

Jansho nodded. "I must admit...I am most uncertain of what to do, Lord Zhu."

Taran let out a long breath and then asked calmly, "Jansho, what does your intuition say?"

Jansho made no immediate answer. "I haven't been there as a father for Ruun for a long time. Partly because of my duties, partly because of my own damned stubbornness..." He sighed. "And while I have a rough idea of where he is, considering everything that is happening in Pandaria of late, it would be beyond irresponsible for me to pursue Ruun on a hunch." Jansho gave Taran a quick glance. "Lord Zhu, do you understand what I am saying?"

Taran's answer was reluctant. "You are one of the best rogues of the Wu Kao, Jansho, behind only Taoshi." He stopped suddenly, and Jansho did as well. Putting a hand on Jansho's shoulder, Taran asked, "If you knew exactly where Ruun Ghostpaw was, would you go to him now?"

"If there were no mission, I would go to his side without any hesitation." Jansho answered.

Taran's heavy sigh escaped his lips. "That is _not_ the answer to my question."

"But it is an answer, Lord Zhu." Jansho shook his head. "I cannot falter now on the path that I walk...and Ruun is an adult."

"_That_ isn't an answer either. It's a voiced hope, and one that you have your own doubts of. Your son is only slightly more than twenty years old." Taran said firmly. "If I gave you the choice to look all over Krasarang for him, and promised that there would be no consequence...would you seek out your son?"

Jansho was quiet. Then he looked the head of his order in those golden eyes and said, "You cannot say there would be _no_ consequence, Lord Zhu. If I were to up and leave the Shado-Pan a second time, even _with_ your express permission..." He shook his head resolutely. "I am torn between my duty as a father and my duty as a member of the Shado-Pan. I _thought, _and I may have been wrong to think, that I had left the duties of fatherhood was because it was necessary... Now...I am uncertain."

Taran nodded, his helmet dipping up and down. Tian was ever closer. "I would ask you to meditate on the matter. The doubts of your own heart can seem valid one moment, and foolish when you have considered them more." Giving a look to the monastery, Taran then said contemplatively, "The Jade Serpent gave you a handful of clues to point you in the right direction. Perhaps you can receive others from those who trained your son...and find the correct path in this matter."

"I am most hopeful for that outcome, Lord Zhu." Jansho's brow furrowed thoughtfully. The tiger at his side growled, and Jansho scratched Qagaora's chin. They exchanged a glance, and moments later, both Shado-Pan re-mounted the Riding Tigers. The feet of the great cats soon pounded along the road to Tian Monastery.

* * *

TIAN MONASTERY

NIGHT OF THE SEVENTH DAY

TARAN ZHU

The lights of Tian Monastery began to quiver as blackest night descended. Low clouds swept in from sea, muffling out the eastern stars. There was something in the air that told Taran Zhu it would rain soon, but it would not matter now; they had arrived in safety. Two rather bored looking guards stood at attention, both stiffening in their poses as they recognized the two Shado-Pan riding tigers, if not their riders. Both Shado-Pan dismounted their riding tigers, taking them gently by the reins and leading them on. The guardswoman on the left bowed briskly as the Shado-Pan approached on foot, and asked in a solemn tone, "Honored Shado-Pan, welcome to Tian Monastery. Is all well?"

Taran inclined his head respectfully. "It is. We had hoped to spend the night before we returned to Kun-Lai tomorrow." With a bow, he introduced himself. "I am Taran Zhu, Lord of the Shado-Pan, and this is Jansho Ghostpaw of the Wu Kao."

The guardswoman gulped hastily and bowed even lower. "Lord Zhu! I will inform High Elder Cloudfall that you have come here immediately." With a look to her companion, she bounded away into the Monastery grounds.

"I am Jiao Ming." The guardsman introduced himself. "It is truly an honor to meet you, Lord Zhu."

"I am honored to meet you as well, Jiao Ming." Taran Zhu inclined his head. "Have you had many visitors?"

"We have." Jaio nodded, his thick beard bobbing up and down, the braids within it dancing in the torchlight. "Earlier today, some strange people from outside the mists showed up. There were a few Pandaren from the Isle with them!" His voice grew excited. "Can you imagine that, Lord Zhu?"

"I certainly can." Taran answered readily, but his voice low. It had been about four days since they'd left Hui Chang and the Horde in the northern reaches of the Jade Forest. What had they been up to in the meantime? For his part, Jansho Ghostpaw said nothing but offered a small smile with only his lips when Taran turned to him. The Wu Kao Rogue usually talked when he found something interesting or had something to say. Given how he had neither at the moment, he was quieter than a phantasm.

"Brewmaster Lei Kanglei hasn't had so much business in years." Jiao shook his head with a smile. "He offered to pick up my tab at Paur's Pub! He never does that..." His voice trailed off considerably. "Naturally, I couldn't turn down an offer like that." Jiao admitted with a helpless smile.

"How interesting," Jansho murmured, breaking his self-imposed silence. "Bolo the Elder still runs the place, doesn't he?" He asked in a louder voice.

"He does." Jiao nodded immediately. "As good-tempered as ever, to boot!" He burst out laughing. "Bolo the Elder's title is Keg Keeper. Yet I believe his son's title is the Keg Mender..."

"What does a Keg _Mender_ do in Pandaria?" Jansho asked with a whimsical tone to his voice. "'Inspect' the barrels to make sure there isn't a _drop_ left in them?"

Taran, normally reserved, chuckled at the old joke. Jiao burst out laughing immediately. "You see, you do understand us after all!"

The guardswoman returned, with a burly bare-chested Pandaren wearing strange shoulderpads following not too far behind her. "High Elder Cloudfall." She introduced him. "Taran Zhu." She gestured to the Shado-Pan Lord for Cloudfall's benefit.

Cloudfall smiled from ear to ear and bowed with utmost respect. "Lord Taran Zhu! This is a most unexpected pleasure. We are having a banquet to celebrate our guests, but we would be happy to have you attend as well."

Taran smiled and stated aloud, "I hope they have treated you well, High Elder."

"They have." Cloudfall looked back towards the Monastery. "Of course, we're going to have to finish the banquet soon. Rain's coming..." He shuddered. "I can feel it in my bones, and as drunk as some of my guests are, I don't think anyone would enjoy sleeping in the rain." He gave Jansho Ghostpaw a quick glance, turned to Taran, and then did a double take. "Jansho Ghostpaw, father of one of our best students, I am so sorry that I did not greet you at once!" He offered his hand, and the Wu Kao Rogue shook it.

"High Elder, no apology is necessary." Jansho assured him.

"In fact, we are the ones who should apologize for imposing on your hospitality." Taran nodded in agreement. "We would spend the night before the rain comes. We've spent several on the road thus far."

Cloudfall nodded immediately, "Of course. We will arrange for your tigers to be kept dry, and for lodgings to be provided for you at once." He snapped his fingers. "Jiao, arrange their quarters. If they have any belongings to be taken there..." He offered the Shado-Pan a questioning glance.

Taran answered him, "We do not, but a bed under a dry roof will be most appreciated." Jiao bowed low and headed off at once.

"Good, good." Cloudfall sighed. "For now, I invite you to our banquet, good Shado-Pan, and even if you don't imbibe...I'm sure we'll enjoy your company until the rain comes!" Laughing enthusiastically, the High Elder led the Shado-Pan through the Monastery grounds of Tian to the rowdy noises of music, brew, and good food being enjoyed by many distinct voices.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Wow, that took me far longer to put together than I had hoped. The first of the Sha has broken free...

Let me know what you think of this section.


	14. Of Loose Ends, Part 2

TIAN MONASTERY

NIGHT OF THE SEVENTH DAY

JANSHO GHOSTPAW

The Wu Kao Rogue's sleep was interrupted by the crackling of a particularly loud boom of thunder in the skies overhead. While rain had helped to soothe him to sleep, the thunder proved too much for the light-sleeping Jansho to take. He looked about the room of his temporary lodgings in Tian, finding a small bookcase with several scrolls tucked away within it. However, there was no light, and if Jansho did not sleep, he would not be ready for the long day of travel tomorrow. He sighed and laid back on the cot, which made a scritching-scratch noise as he did so, the materials absorbing his weight. Jansho closed his eyes tightly...only for a massive flash of white lightning to illuminate the entirety of Tian as vividly as the day would. His eyes failed to keep it out, and he blinked repeatedly.

The rain continued its relentless hammering against the ground. Jansho Ghostpaw felt more uncertain than ever of what he should do. _I'm glad you found what you needed here, Ruun. I hope you find peace on the path you have chosen to walk. _Those were the last words he had said to his son. It had been almost a year since they'd last spoken. The ache in his heart had never truly ebbed for his son...or for his wife. It had been even longer since he had seen her. Qagaora Ghostpaw, wife of a Shado-Pan...that didn't hold the same ring as being _of_ the Shado-Pan.

_She wasn't as fortunate as __**I**__ was. _ Qagaora Ling, before they had met, had been the only child of two farmers on the outskirts of Halfhill. To leave them would have been to doom her family's future...and she _couldn't_ do that. Jansho, by contrast, was the youngest child of three siblings, with an older brother and sister. His brother died before reaching the age of twenty, leaving only his older sister Suraija Ghostpaw and Jansho to succeed his parents. Even after his brother passed from life at the age of eighteen, Jansho was resolute in what he must do.

_Even if it kills me, I have to try to become one of the Shado-Pan. I'll always wonder what I might have been if I don't. _The words he used to convince his parents to allow him to take the Trial of the Red Blossoms came to mind as he revisited the memories. But he had survived the trial, with all the harrowing obstacles of the freezing lake...the coiling serpent that would crush you to death if it got a hold of you. And yet...the trial seemed so insignificant compared to the mountain range of experiences that Jansho Ghostpaw had gone through. But it destroyed _many_ young lives. Only when Qagaora took Jansho as her husband (she had been the one to push, not he), and when Jansho become a father...only then had his eyes truly opened to how delicate his own balance was. The deaths of his friends had done the same thing. And then...he had fallen from grace. _Forgive me, Ruun, but I __**was**__ selfish. I didn't want to lose you to something like a trial that I no longer believed in. I couldn't torment myself by wondering what you __**might**__ have become had that trial claimed your life as it has so many others._

He prayed to all four Celestials, starting with the Black Ox in the Far West and ending with Chi-Ji, the Red Crane. _Wherever he is, whatever he has done...Ruun Ghostpaw...please let him live, Great Ones. Let me see his face as I should have in years long since spent. And let me embrace him as a father should embrace his son... _He finally fell asleep, his dreams fitful. As the rain slackened off and eventually ended, a distant crane was called to the sky as it rose into the mists of the fog that settled over Tian Monastery.

* * *

TARAN ZHU

The calling crane awoke Taran Zhu partially. He'd been conditioned from a young age to recognize that sound, the sound of Chi-Ji's favored ones...but never before had he heard one so late in the night. _A new day approaches._ He thought to himself. _Good. I will be ready for it._

Thoughts of the past filled his mind. Of Nazgrim, sneering at him about how smug Taran was considering what the Alliance had done to his people...of Rell, cursing about how evil the Horde was and how they must be stopped, also because of what they had done to his people. _They wage war without understanding. And their lack of empathy may well damage the entire world by the time all is said and all is done._ He sighed and sat upright. _The Jade Serpent told me many things in her temple, yet my mind has lost most of them._ Taran Zhu, unmasked, without his helmet, alone in the quarters he had been provided within Tian Monastery...felt more vulnerable than ever. _I cannot do these things alone. That much I know. Yet if there is one person who has told me how much rides on me, it has been Jansho...had our positions been reversed in Paw'don and I been the one injured...what would he have done in my stead?_

Jansho was capable, yes...but Taran hastily cut the question short as his father's harsh voice came to mind. _Do __**not**__ doubt what was. What has happened has happened, and wondering about what might have been is foolish._ Even in near-sleep, Taran Zhu grimaced. His father's voice had **always** been harshest when speaking to him.

_So easy for you to say, Father Jet,_ Taran retorted, indulging the memories that he had never been able to truly suppress. _If you were supposed to guide me, you were a poor pathfinder at best. After your older sons, the ones you __**always**__ favored...after they passed from this life, your disfavor towards me was __**all**__ you had left. Your love followed them to the grave. __**You **__followed them to the grave out of sheer stubbornness. And you shoved those who remained alive away from you. You don't think I didn't notice the way you looked at those you were __**supposed**__ to command? You thought they were unworthy of it after Yao and Jianjun died, because they weren't able to save your beloved sons._

He could not remember his father saying _once_ that he had loved Taran. The Lord of the Shado-Pan at last quieted the petty thoughts of days long since spent, the unvoiced complaints he had held towards his ever-distant...and now-deceased...father. Now, he had to be concerned with the present. _The Horde has moved, _Taran realized, _and with great alacrity. I saw a troll at the banquet, and a strange sort of bull creature...not a Yaungol, though. So strange to have them so close to one another, but what do I know? The Zandalari despise the Yaungol just as much as they hate us. But the troll...was not Zandalari. She was something else._

_ The Alliance must be hunting for their missing prince. I do not know what their prince's goal was, but he headed here with a purpose and may have plunged himself into grave danger. Had he sought me out...I wonder what I might have said, having encountered his less-than-honorable comrades in the North. _He sighed quietly. _These outsiders are __**so**__ contradictory. The Horde took Pandaren children as prisoners in Paw'don, while the Alliance forced younger Pandaren men and women to build their airstrip near Honeydew...which is not even a day's travel from here. Rell insists his people are peaceful, while Nazgrim insists his people are honorable. Which is right? Perhaps neither; both the Alliance in the North and the Horde in the South were desperate. They wanted the ability to wage war; the villages refused them. Their commanders grew angry... Their anger, their doubts, their hatred bloomed like an evil flower and they were destroyed because of it. _Taran Zhu rubbed at his eyes. _They fell into darkness...and there was no escape from it. Yet I know how to thwart the Sha...and my knowledge has only proven so useful._

A thought struck his mind suddenly, one from his conference with the leaders of the Shado-Pan disciplines. Snowdrift's report, relayed from Rensai Oakhide and Gao-ran the Tempered...the mantid were swarming early. But there was something wrong with this in Taran's mind. _Why are the mantid moving at all in this poor season? This is a bad time for them; it's too cold and wet across the continent for their swarms to begin. Regardless, they __**have**__ launched a full-scale invasion, and at least a decade early in terms of their invasive cycle. They strike in full force every century, like a titanic flood...yet they are here now, swarming in numbers that we are not ready for. The Yaungol are panicking because __**they**__ were the first victims of the mantid push. So they flee from Townlong and crush towards the Serpent's Spine and the relative protection of Kun-Lai...towards my people._

Taran Zhu knew he would have a discussion with Snowdrift and the others upon his return about Shado-Pan deployments across the continent. He hoped that Nurong had found their patrol alive and well...but terrible experience had already tempered Taran's expectations. He would not be surprised if two had died and the survivor been so traumatized that they had left the order in shame.

_ I shall find out when the new day comes. _Taran Zhu's mind at last fell into slumber as well, and he lay back in his bed, closing his eyes tightly. The pitter-patter of the rain quieted his mind.

* * *

MORNING OF THE EIGHTH DAY

The sunbeams of the new day stretched across Taran Zhu's face and burned into his eyelids. The Lord of the Shado-Pan groaned as he woke up, rising to a sitting position and rubbing at his eyes. Shaking his head and the last of his weariness from the night before, Taran swung his legs out and stood up; the heavy Shado-Pan Lord stretched his arms and legs after doing so. A ragged yawn escaped his lips, and Taran saw he had placed his helmet on a nightstand. His scarf lay on top of his travel pack, folded up along with the top half of his uniform. Taran pulled the uniform over his bare torso, feeling the muscles in his back stretch as he pulled the dark blue uniform over his body. His thick stomach gurgled with hunger, and Taran sighed. He was not immune to the urges of his body, especially not after the night before. He unfurled his scarf and began wrapping it about his neck. The red fabric felt as though it belonged there.

The scarf in position, Taran regarded his appearance in the small mirror of his quarters. He groaned as he saw just how crazy the hair on top of his head was. It had grown quickly since his departure from Kun-Lai, and was now a dark, rigid, spiky mess. He shook his head, lifting the helmet into position moments later. It settled into place perfectly. _I will get that cut when I return to Kun-Lai,_ he decided.

He left the quarters he had been given in Tian. Hefting the travel pack over his back, Taran Zhu took in the sights of the empty grounds of the Monastery. A great gong suddenly rang out, and at once, every single door in Tian seemed to open as the students snapped to attention...those that could, at least. Taran knew from the previous night's revelries that many would be trying to sleep off the massive quantities of ale they had drunk the night before. It had...been an enjoyable night, in retrospect.

_We are always honored to have the Shado-Pan visit our monastery! _Spirit-sage Gaoquan had told Taran proudly and offered him a seat of honor. Taran had refused, instead taking the lesser place and serving others who desired more.

Hui Chang and several of her friends she had made among the Horde were there. Taran remembered that the lone troll who had been present had been a member of the Darkspear Tribe, not the Zandalari. _That does not make her an ally necessarily, but it does not make her an enemy. She must choose the ground she stands upon._

Taran had felt there was a split among the Horde. The orcs that had come with Hui Chang to Tian were not of the Kor'kron. Hui explained the concept of those the night before; Kor'kron were Warchief Hellscream's favored elite orcs, and were viewed of as having the same authority as the Warchief himself. In fact, the two orcs that Taran and Jansho had encountered at Nazgrim's side in Honeydew Village were Kor'kron elites... Hui didn't seem too thrilled about that concept, from the tone she had taken, but the orcs at her table had insisted that to join the Kor'kron was an incredible honor for their people. The Horde represented those from different groups, and their favor with the Warchief rested on a continuum; the Kor'kron were his favored subjects while others such as the Tauren were bitterly divided by Garrosh. _He killed one of their most respected leaders, _Taran remembered. It would be hard for forgiveness to set in after that.

The female troll that was, along with many others of the Horde, a student of Tian, nodded with utmost respect as Taran Zhu passed her. It was a gesture that the Lord of the Shado-Pan appreciated, and he acknowledged her gesture with a bow of his own. _My mind must be more flexible. That is what the Jade Serpent said, and I can never doubt the wisdom within her words. _"It be a good mornin', Lord Zhu," The troll said quietly. When Taran directed a questioning glance at her, she smiled. "Hui Chang told me of ya. Ya won her respect."

Taran nodded. "She has a great deal to learn, but she has a good head on her shoulders. And from what I remember of our talk last night...you do as well, for that matter." He bowed once more. "Be sure that you respect this land. It will respect you in return." The troll nodded and returned his bow, and then walked off to wherever she was needed.

He found Jansho at a table, sitting with Instructor Xann and a huge Pandaren student of Xann's that had to stand stood almost seven feet tall. Jansho Ghostpaw at once saw Taran and stood to his feet, bowing with reverence. "Lord Zhu." He greeted.

"Jansho Ghostpaw." Taran nodded.

Jansho invited Taran to sit beside him, which he did. "Xiao was telling me a story about my son's time here." He turned to the student, a smile on his face. "And he did _what_, afterwards?"

"He told me to get him some clothes and some noodles." Xiao, the huge student, smiled. "I don't blame him."

"What happened, Xiao?" Taran asked, bemused.

Xiao explained quickly. "Lord Zhu, as a practical joke, Lin Tenderpaw snuck a magic bamboo shoot into one of Ruun Ghostpaw's late night snacks."

Taran's eyes widened. "And he ate it?"

Xiao nodded with a helpless smile. "The whole thing... I went to get a snack myself, and I found his clothes on the ground and a little panda cub in the kitchen." At that, Xann burst out guffawing. "It took me a little while to figure out what had happened. I took the little guy to my quarters and wrapped him in a blanket, though..."

Jansho covered his head, a smile from ear to ear of his dark features. "So when the effects of the magic bamboo wore off..."

"Ruun grew to full-size in seconds." Xiao nodded, smiling as well. "I don't think he'd _ever_ been so embarrassed." He laughed as he continued, "I mean, one moment I have a panda cub in my arms. The next thing I know, I'm on the ground, and there's this fully-grown Pandaren with no clothes on standing over me! I couldn't stop laughing...and Ruun just had the most offended look on his face!" He stopped laughing after a while. "He got over it pretty quickly, though."

Xann nodded. "I don't think Lin expected Ruun to use a blackout kick on her the next time their eyes met."

Taran's eyes widened. "They did resolve things, did they not?"

"They did." Xiao said quietly. "It took about two weeks for him to forgive her, and a day for him to forgive me." His smile became more wistful. "Ruun was a good friend. He and Kang Bramblestaff were close. Heck, Lin was close with him...right up until the magic bamboo prank."

"I can imagine." Jansho murmured, chuckling under his breath. "Someone did that to me after I...returned to the Shado-Pan."

Taran smiled at the idea of Jansho being reduced from an adult to a cub in an instant. "Did you ever find the culprit?"

"It was Shado-Master Zhiyao." Jansho shook his head. "He wanted to teach me a lesson in humility. That...was a lesson I learned all too well that day."

Taran Zhu couldn't help but laugh. "I apologize, Jansho, but...like father, like son?"

"Perhaps, Lord Zhu." Jansho looked down at his food and began to tear into it.

A younger male student brought a bowl with several bamboo sprigs layered across a steaming bed of rice at the bottom. Taran Zhu eyed the bamboo suspiciously, and now it was Instructor Xann's turn to laugh. "See, we've gotten the idea in your head that our people are endless practical jokers!"

"Why wouldn't we be?" Taran smiled as he removed the bamboo and began to eat.

The food was good, but Taran was content with a single bowl of it. "Jansho, were you able to find any more information about Ruun?"

Jansho shook his head, his mouth still full of food. Xann spoke up. "Ruun was one of my favored students. He spoke about visiting the Temple of the Red Crane after leaving Tian, and then determining what to do from there." Xann shrugged helplessly. "I wish I knew more. I hope that Chi-Ji will guide the young man in his travels."

Taran, Xiao, and Jansho were unanimous in their agreement with Xann's statement...

* * *

THE ROAD TO KUN-LAI

The departure from Tian had to be bittersweet for Jansho, Taran Zhu reflected. Jansho had learned how respected his son was by his teachers here, and about how well-loved he was in the local area. _I am glad to know that his son found a measure of peace here, even if they only saw one another at Tian three times in the six years that Ruun learned here._

"I hope Tian will provide the Horde with lessons that will prevent them from invoking further Sha in the future, Lord Zhu." Jansho spoke aloud as Lord Zhu and he rode along the path to the south, back to Kun-Lai Summit. "Celestials willing, they will not cause any further difficulties to the people of the Jade Forest..."

Taran agreed, "Tian emphasizes service to the community and discipline, and the Horde did not appreciate either when we first met." _And with mantid, mogu, and yaungol on the move, the Sha will take advantage of the chaos produced by all three._

"At least the Hozen won't have to worry about the Horde wiping them out in revenge for their activities near Honeydew." Jansho murmured. Taran gave him a quick, questioning glance as the riding tigers jumped over a root from a tree that had spread into the road.

"What do you mean?" Taran asked Jansho, concern in his voice.

"Hui told me the Forest Hozen signed an agreement of sorts with the Horde." Jansho explained.

Taran felt a snarl come to his lips, unbidden though it was. _Of course_. Nazgrim was **not** content with his weakened position, and seeing as the Pandaren he'd encountered in Honeydew Village were not willing to join his cause, he was looking for allies wherever he could find them. Eventually, Nazgrim would find Pandaren who had not witnessed the destruction the Horde had unleashed on their people, but until then, he needed troops. And the Hozen were little more than bodies for his front line...until reinforcements arrived from elsewhere. Taran knew at once that Nazgrim was looking for the Alliance, and the Forest Hozen would give him the intelligence necessary necessary to find them. The general would not rest until he had found his enemy...and crushed them.

"That is a _wise_ tactical move on the part of General Nazgrim." Taran observed coldly. "And it is _terrible_ news at the same time... The Hozen know a great deal about the Jade Forest. They will put Nazgrim on a path that will lead to further violence..."

"What of Hui and her friends?" Jansho asked. "You don't think they can persuade Nazgrim to stop, do you, Lord Zhu?"

Taran shook his head. "Nazgrim's bloodlust will _not_ be sated by those under his command being insubordinate to him." _Yes, that was definitely what I felt from Nazgrim when the subject of the Alliance came up. __**Bloodlust. **__Nazgrim is plunging headlong into disaster, and nothing short of challenging that one in a duel to the death will stop him at this point._

_Do not seek to convince them by yourself, Taran Zhu._ Yu'lon's words from earlier came to mind.

Taran's mind was conflicted as they rode onwards. His duty and his reason, as well as the words of the Jade Serpent, warred with one another, vying for supremacy.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE: My apologies, but I had to overcome a MAJOR writer's block to crank out this section and I hope you enjoy it. Let me know if you see any errors or mistakes, and I will get on correcting them at once.

The last three sections are all from Taran Zhu's point of view.


	15. Return to the Monastery

SHADO-PAN MONASTERY

AFTERNOON OF THE NINTH DAY

MASTER SNOWDRIFT

The previous night's snow had melted under the fierce eye of the sun, leaving only that from the week previous gathered in places where the sun could not reach. It was an unusually clear day in Kun-Lai, and water dripped from roofs as the sun set to work on the hardened snowpacks. While the grass looked a little dreary and snow-shocked, it was still there on the monastery grounds. It, much like every tree that grew within the Monastery, had grown accustomed to the wildly shifting weather that was a staple of the mountains. Wan Snowdrift looked over the scouts of the Shado-Pan, with Hawkmaster Nurong standing nearby. After he had explained the situation to Nurong, the leader of the Wu Kao Discipline went about the Monastery, finding those under his command best suited for reconnaissance. Now...they had gathered here.

Yalia Sagewhisper was elsewhere in the monastery grounds, as was Gu Cloudstrike. While Wan would ordinarily have waited for Taran's approval on this matter, the escape of the Sha of Anger was **not** something that the Shado-Pan could ignore. It was their responsibility to defeat it, and to destroy the evil spirit. Snowdrift finished his examinations. Twelve scouts in total were gathered, and they would split into three groups of four scouts apiece. They could cover more ground if they all went individually, but Snowdrift didn't want to risk a single scout blundering into the Sha of Anger, getting killed by the blasted thing, and then never making their report.

"It is not your task to engage the Sha of Anger in combat. I would never send only twelve for such a duty." Snowdrift's voice addressed the scouts and held them to attention. "Your duty is to locate the Sha of Anger and observe its movements. You are not to engage if you have the opportunity to withdraw. Only fight it...if you have no other options."

"Master Snowdrift?" One of the older scouts asked.

"Yes?" Snowdrift walked to her.

She met his eyes. Snowdrift saw her resolution and nodded appreciatively. "Once we have made our report...what then?" She asked.

"A pertinent question..." Snowdrift mused. "You are to track it. As it moves, you move as well. We will receive your reports, and we will have a strike force ready to take this thing down. But without your reports, we will be acting blind throughout Kun-Lai."

He looked about the other scouts. "Are there any other questions?"

The scouts shook their heads. Nurong stepped to them and said sterinly, "Your task is of the utmost importance. Never go off by yourself. That evil will hunt you down and toy with you if you attempt to do so...and then it will snuff out your lives. And we will have more grieving to do, with nothing gained."

"Use your better judgment." Snowdrift agreed. "You know your duties. May the Celestials watch over your lives." He and Nurong both bowed, as did the scouts. They had prepared themselves, according to Nurong. Wan Snowdrift hoped the Hawkmaster was right with every fiber of his being. The scouts headed off towards the stables, and soon, twelve Shado-Pan riding tigers bounded off into the distance from the gates of the Shado-Pan Monastery. _The first part is done. Now comes the next part...building a team that will be capable of bringing that monster down, _Snowdrift thought.

Nurong met Snowdrift's eyes. "Who should lead the strike team, Wan?"

Snowdrift considered that. "I had hoped that you would, Nurong, after some rest and recuperation here." He offered.

Nurong nodded as he contemplated Snowdrift's offer. "I accept." The burly hawkmaster stated after a moment. "I know how critical this mission is, Snowdrift. Given how strong that thing was as it left, it might take an assault force of thirty or so to bring the Sha of Anger down."

Wan agreed. "Thirty should prove sufficient, and if the scouts pitch in after the Sha is engaged, we might have better chances than that." He considered the manpower they had. The bulk of the Wu Kao and Blackguard were on the Serpent's Spine. The Stormbringers waited here in the Monastery, as did most of the Omnia. The sheer strength of the order was thus in the field. They would need powerful magic users to defeat the Sha of Anger, and a balanced strategy. "I shall speak with Gu on this matter. We will need as many Stormbringers as he is willing to give us."

Nurong gave Wan a skeptical glance, "Wan, if he holds _anyone_ back, I'll rap his knuckles."

Snowdrift chuckled. "No need for that, my friend..." His eyes widened as the great doors of the monastery suddenly creaked open, coupled with the sound of a horn from the gates. "Taran Zhu returns." Snowdrift said quietly.

"Not a moment too soon." Nurong murmured. The masters of the Blackguard and Wu Kao moved towards the Cloudstrike Dojo. The heavy doors from the Dojo to the rest of the Monastery opened, revealing the Lord of the Shado-Pan and Jansho Ghostpaw.

Snowdrift approached them first, bowing to Taran Zhu. "Lord Zhu, I am glad to see you return in health."

"For my part, I am grateful to return in health, Wan." Taran bowed his own head and dismounted his riding tiger. Jansho followed suit, bowing to Nurong and Snowdrift once he was on the ground. Taran looked to Jansho. "Ghostpaw, return our riding tigers to the stable." He instructed the Wu Kao Rogue.

"At once, Lord Zhu." Jansho took up the reins of the riding tigers and walked them both back to the stables.

Nurong nodded as Jansho left off, and spoke up after the rogue had led both tigers away, "Lord Zhu, I returned from the Valley of the Four Winds. I have unfortunate news of our patrol that went missing."

Taran sighed reluctantly. Snowdrift knew that Taran had likely worried about this, but now he would hear it for himself. "I would hear your report, Nurong."

Nurong nodded. "Taoshi and I tracked a quilen from the area near the Serpent's Spine just to the southeast of Stoneplow Village. We rendezvoused with Che Wildwalker of the Golden Lotus, encountered a quilen and killed it. The quilen, however, was close to a small mogu ruin, which Taoshi located. We..." The Hawkmaster swallowed hard. Even though he'd reported the news to Snowdrift two days ago, it was still deeply upsetting to him, several days after the fact. "We found the Shado-Pan patrol within, bound and gagged. The mogu that captured them from the wall drove the spirits from their bodies, and then left them for us to find." Nurong bowed his head.

A ragged sigh escaped the lips of Taran Zhu. "I see. Thank you, Nurong...for bearing this difficult news. When did you return?"

"Two days ago, Lord Zhu." Nurong reported. "Taoshi and I returned as soon as our mission was completed."

"You have their belts, then?" Taran asked respectfully. Nurong nodded, and offered all three to Taran. "This is indeed terrible news. All of them were less than twenty-five years old, barely a decade removed from the trial..." He shook his great head, the helmet shifting in the afternoon light. "I will arrange for their funerals later. Their senseless loss at the hands of the mogu will hit us all hard, I think, especially the young ones who befriended them and looked to them for guidance." Taran suddenly produced a fourth belt buckle of the Shado-Pan. "As it is, I bear unfortunate news as well. Jansho and I intercepted a Zandalari Warscout in the Jade Forest. He was lost, and we took him down without injury to ourselves. We did not kill the Zandalari before he claimed the life of one of our own, sadly." He offered the fourth buckle to Snowdrift. "Wan, do you know who this might have belonged to?"

Wan turned it over, and the gray spots near his eyes blanched with shock. The Shado-Pan who had worn the belt had clearly fallen on top of it after death, and the blood saturated the fabric that remained. "I do not. I shall have to take it to Rushi to determine who it may have been issued to, however." He let loose a long sigh. "The Zandalari must have claimed it as a battle trophy."

"That is my thought as well." Nurong stepped in, shaking his head at the sight of the four belt buckles. "To have lost four of our own in such a short time...three young ones and a veteran...we need good news now."

Wan felt rather than heard Jansho Ghostpaw approached, but there were footsteps that did not belong to him that also approached. He turned to see that Yalia Sagewhisper strode up resolutely. Wan made his report on recent matters to Taran Zhu at once. "Taran...the Sha of Anger escaped from here the night before last. I dispatched a dozen scouts to hunt for it, in three groups of four scouts each."

Taran accepted Wan's decision at once. "That is also bad news...but you made a good decision. We cannot blindly fly after the Sha of Anger, after all." He bowed his head to acknowledge Yalia Sagewhisper's arrival. "Yalia, you and Snowdrift were here. What happened?"

Yalia exchanged a nod with Snowdrift and spoke up. "The Sha of Anger broke loose from its containment chamber. It took the form of two Shado-Pan Wardens melded into one, Lord Zhu. The Omnia assigned to watch the Sealed Chambers proved unable to stop it, and it fled the Monastery." She stated firmly, "We were most fortunate in that regard: the Sha of Anger was more bent on fleeing than fighting. Had it resisted...we would have _eight_ more funerals to arrange at the very least." Yalia concluded soberly.

Taran Zhu accepted that report with a deep nod. "I understand. Wan, what arrangements have you made?"

"You mean, aside from dispatching the scouts, Lord Zhu?" Wan asked, and Taran nodded, signaling him to continue. Snowdrift did just that, "Yalia and I proposed a combined offensive against the Sha of Anger, but given that the passes have been snowed in pretty deeply, it would take at least a day for a full assault force to be dispatched. We were looking at our disciplines first for prospective members for such a team."

Taran nodded. "I shall speak with Gu Cloudstrike. You will have a good number of Shado-Pan Stormbringers for this task." He looked to the leaders of the disciplines of his order. "Wan, did you have anyone in mind for leading the team?"

"I did." Snowdrift nodded to Nurong, who bowed.

"I see." Taran smiled under the facial scarf. "Well, Hawkmaster, are you ready for a few more days in the field?"

Nurong nodded at once. "I am ready for this task, Lord Zhu." The Leader of the Wu Kao bowed. "May I speak with you in private when you have a moment, however?" Snowdrift was a little baffled by this, but he presumed Nurong had his reasons for seeking a private audience with the Lord of the Shado-Pan. They had not seen one another in at least a week, after all.

"You may." Taran agreed. "We will discuss events in the Jade Forest this evening...and our plans to deal with the Sha of Anger. For now...I will speak with Master Cloudstrike." He bowed to all of them and headed back into the Cloudstrike Dojo.

Yalia, Nurong, Jansho, and Wan bowed in return. Wan looked to Yalia, who offered only the merest ghost of a smile. "He took that news well..." Wan sighed.

"He must remain even-keeled now, more than ever, Masters." Jansho said quietly. "He spoke with the Jade Serpent...as did I. And while not everything Yu'lon told me made sense at the time, she does not speak without cause."

Wan Snowdrift's jaw dropped. "You spoke with Yu'lon, Jansho?"

"She offered me her counsel, Master Snowdrift." Jansho nodded respectfully. "Such a gift...I will have to tell my wife." He smiled. "She venerated Yu'lon above the others."

"Don't we all respect one celestial over the others, in our own way?" Wan murmured. Looking to Yalia and Nurong, Wan sighed. "Well...I have to find what Blackguard are left here and determine which will be best suited for our task of bringing down a true monster."

"I shall do so as well." Yalia headed off, her feet padding across the green of the Monastery...but it was a temporary green, in Snowdrift's opinion. His bones told him there was a storm coming...and not a simple mountain storm at that. This storm would roil over the whole continent.

_ But whom shall I speak to about this? _His answer came as he considered a passing Wu Kao veteran. Her belt seemed to glint in the sunlight, and Snowdrift smiled as he realized he had his answer. _I shall seek out Xuen when the opportunity presents itself, with Lord Zhu's permission, of course._

* * *

JANSHO GHOSTPAW

Nurong was left alone with Jansho. The Hawmaster cleared his throat and then spoke, "I haven't seen you in about a week, Jansho. I had no idea you'd...volunteered to go with Lord Zhu to the Jade Forest."

"There is something in the Wu Kao code that says one should never travel alone, Hawkmaster." Jansho said after a moment. "I had hoped to see my son, if it were possible."

"And did you see Ruun?" Nurong asked.

Jansho shook his head. "I did not. According to his friends at Tian, Ruun left their Monastery about three months ago." His breath caught in his chest. "The Jade Serpent mentioned something about him being at a distant temple...and another thing about Chi-Ji being far from home. Given what she told me, I can assume that she was referring to Ruun's traveling to the Temple of the Red Crane in the Krasarang Wilds."

Nurong nodded, taking that into consideration. "A reasonable assumption..." He sighed. "Jansho, I'm sorry you didn't meet up. I know how much he means to you." Nurong's good eye fixed with Jansho's, and Jansho nodded tightly.

"I appreciate it, Hawkmaster. But...you did not return with happy news." Jansho said quietly. "You do not have to tell me...but there is something about you that speaks to recent grief."

Nurong nodded sorrowfully. "You are correct. You remember Kagao Mistpaw, Lo Stumblethorn, and Ji Whitebrow?"

There was a sick feeling in the heart of Jansho's stomach. "They were killed by the mantid?" He asked in a low voice.

Nurong shook his head. "No, Jansho, their fate was even worse than that. They were taken by the mogu, and the souls driven from their bodies." A ragged sigh escaped his lips. "Taoshi and I found them. Their mouths were open as if to scream..."

Jansho was far too familiar with what mogu did to their victims. By contrast, Khagai and Sena had been fortunate to only have their throats cut by the mogu. That was quick, and far better, in Jansho's opinion. The alternative was to be bound up, and have everything you were plucked from your body and then planted into a mogu machine. "You do not need to tell me more if it causes you pain, Hawkmaster." Jansho said in a quiet voice. "I have heard that members of the Golden Lotus taken off-guard by mogu have suffered the same fate in recent years."

Nurong saw something in Jansho's eyes and he stopped cold. "I know. But those three...they had barely been in the Shado-Pan a decade. And now they have no other hope of release but the destruction of their mogu constructs." Jansho Ghostpaw nodded gravely. Nurong let loose another long sigh.

_He had __**just**__ welcomed all three into the Wu Kao within the last five years. For them to suffer such a fate must weigh upon him very heavily. I did not train them, but I am friends with those who did. Lin and Suna Silentstrike...will be devastated. _Jansho held a hand to his chin and sighed. _I hope we are able to settle accounts with the spiritbinders who did that to them someday. Vengeance is not something we can pursue, but we must prevent the same thing from happening to others. _"I know that vengeance is not something that we seek, Hawkmaster. Taran Zhu and I fought mogu on this journey, Hawkmaster," Jansho said quietly, "as well as one Zandalari." Nurong's face hardened; Hawkmaster would, of course, highly disapprove of one of his veteran warriors going off by himself just to inflict bloody vengeance. _But he knows me better than that. And I told him that I fought alongside Lord Zhu._

Jansho confirmed Nurong's unspoken belief with a tight nod. "The mogu were of Clan Gormali. They raided Nectarbreeze Orchard, killed half a dozen farmers, and enslaved the others. Lord Zhu, many others from the nearby village, and I stopped them." Nurong nodded approvingly. It had not been a solo operation. "Shao and I freed the farmers, and I killed the mogu who guarded them. Two city guards and a farmer were killed in battle by the mogu, but..." Jansho Ghostpaw sighed. "We killed at least a dozen Gormali in total."

Nurong did not take any pleasure in that news. "I am glad to hear that Nectarbreeze Village was saved. But you **know** what my thoughts on vengeance are." Nurong's voice took on a hard edge.

"I do, Hawkmaster." Jansho nodded deeply.

Nurong accepted his words. "Have you eaten, Ghostpaw?" Nurong asked, his topknot tipping to the side slightly.

"No, Hawkmaster." Jansho answered. "Not since this morning."

Nurong smiled slightly. "I have not either, for that matter. We'll head to the great dining hall. There...you can tell me more of what happened in the Jade Forest."

Jansho followed the burly Hawkmaster. The sun was high overhead, and no clouds masked the nearby mountains...for the time being. Foreboding was in the air...and something told Jansho Ghostpaw that the outsiders were the catalyst, one way or another, for all the recent activity. The Monastery seemed as though it were half-empty, and many of the veteran faces of the Shado-Pan that Jansho recognized on sight were gone.

* * *

EVENING OF THE NINTH DAY

TARAN ZHU

The last time Taran had been in the Grove of Falling Blossoms was little more than a week ago. He was restless, and found that sleep did not come to him as easily here as it had in Tian Monastery. _The world is at our doorstep, now. Conflict has awakened the Sha. Now...I shall find out what has happened in my absence._ Taoshi meditated nearby, alongside Nurong. Taran sensed a bit of a divide between the two Wu Kao, but it was not his palce to gash it open. Not when so much was at stake...

Wan Snowdrift approached, with Yalia Sagewhisper not far behind him. Gu Cloudstrike lumbered on behind them, and as all three drew close, Taran sat back and the six Shado-Pan formed a semi-circle. Master Cloudstrike gave Taran a skeptical glance after seeing Taoshi present, but Taran's implacable expression was all the commander of the Shado-Pan wardens received in return.

Taran spoke first. "The situation in the Jade Forest has been stabilized...temporarily." He let loose a long sigh. "The Alliance and the Horde have made their presence felt in the region. They are not going away..." Taran shook his head. "However, the brief battles they fought unleashed two very powerful Sha. While they were not quite as strong as the Sha of Doubt, they were only a few notches below it. It took...an incredible amount of work to bring them down."

The masters of the Shado-Pan disciplines reacted in their own ways to this news. Yalia was implacable as always, while Wan and Nurong both frowned. Gu was unreadable, and Taoshi concerned. Wan Snowdrift spoke up. "What of the villages, Lord Zhu?"

"They were both endangered by the fighting and suffered casualties, Wan." Taran answered his question. "They received a bit more than they had bargained for with the outsiders." He then said resolutely, "We must prepare ourselves for other outsiders to arrive, Shado-Pan. The Mists...are gone."

Yalia's voice was troubled, now. "I believe this means that we might soon see other outsiders...others that coveted what we have in days long past, Lord Zhu."

Taran nodded in confirmation. "I saw a Zandalari for the first time in many years, Yalia. Your supposition...is well-founded. We killed a lone scout along the southern roads of the Jade Forest, near the western coast."

"The Zandalari returning..." Nurong spoke. "That is most worrisome. They take pity on no one." He shook his head, his topknot bobbing.

"I agree, Nurong." Taran stated. "And to that end...I plan to send a dozen members of the Blackguard to the Jade Forest to keep an eye on a situation that developed while we were there." At Nurong's raised eyebrow and Wan's interrogating stare, Taran explained further. "I have only told three of you of this, but mogu from Clan Gormali attacked Nectarbreee Village and killed at least half a dozen farmers. With Jansho Ghostpaw's help and aid from several Pandaren who were in the region, we were able to drive them to flight." His next words were full of foreboding. "The commander of the Gormali talked of the Thunder King before he was engaged in combat...and before he was killed."

Silence reigned in that moment. Yalia spoke up once more. "The mogu have **not** forgotten their most powerful leader. They still strive for that which they lost. And based upon their action of killing civilians...it seems as though they have learned _nothing_." Yalia's tone was most disappointed. Taran thought to himself, _Yalia does not underestimate the mogu, and their inability to adjust to a world that no longer obeys their beck and call greatly troubles her...and me, for that matter._

Taran considered the words of the Omnia Master. Taoshi, however, spoke next. "The mogu do not do things simply on whims. They know they are weaker than in ages past...but with a few fortunate breaks, they could again be a formidable force." She bowed her head when she was concluded.

Gu Cloudstrike spoke next. "Taoshi, though young, is quite correct. The mogu attack on Nectarbreeze was a tactical strike...and had it succeeded, it might have emboldened the other clans."

Taran agreed. "It may _still_ have that effect, Gu. The other clans have been quiet in recent years. Something has caused them to wake up."

"Perhaps it is the fall of the mists." Nurong stated. "I know that the mogu generally avoided the Serpent's Spine. That is one place we have the advantage of raw numbers in..." He sighed. "But until I saw what they had done to our missing patrol..."

Taoshi spoke up. "The mogu took the patrol during the night and captured their souls. We found the bodies in a small mogu ruin, not far from the wall."

Nurong seemed somewhat relieved at not having to be the one to bear that news to light. Yalia Sagewhisper's head dipped with grief at Taoshi's report. "I am deeply sorry to hear of this. I know...finding their bodies in such a state could not have done either of you any good." Yalia shook her head. "For three of the younger members of our order to come to grief..." Her voice trailed off.

Taran's voice was assertive. "The mogu _are_ rising. They will build their strength...and then they shall surge. But Taoshi is correct. The mogu will hit outlying settlements, small farms, isolated regions where resistance will be minimal, if any. They will be encouraged by the small victories they get, and the bolder they will become." He sighed. "But we cannot be spread too thin by the mogu. The Sha are rising as well. And the yaungol in the west, and the mantid in the Wastes..." He held up a hand. "The Sha are our principle charge for the time being. We will not turn a blind eye to the mogu, of course."

Snowdrift nodded, and made his report. "Two nights ago, the Sha of Anger fled the Monastery. I dispatched a dozen scouts to locate it, but with the heavy snowfall that Kun-Lai received that very night...it may take some time to find it." His voice trailed off reluctantly; Taran greatly appreciated Snowdrift having a handle on the situation. Given the limitations that Kun-Lai's mountains could put on the Shado-Pan, it was understandable that the Blackguard Master was frustrated.

"It need not be said that each day that thing remains in the field is a dangerous one for any civilian in Kun-Lai." Yalia spoke resolutely. "A combined offensive will be necessary to destroy it. Containing something like that in this place a second time would be a mistake." She met the eyes of everyone. "Our best measures were inadequate. The containment policy that was passed down from my predecessor Omnia is no longer sufficient. We must bring that monstrosity **down**." She held a fist to her palm.

Taran agreed and smiled; Yalia had led the conversation in the direction he had hoped. "A small force of no more than forty should be adequate, once the Sha is located. But they should not be confined to the Monastery; if the scouts report the location of the Sha of Anger and a second snowfall cuts off the high passes, they will be similarly trapped. Nurong will lead it." The Hawkmaster nodded. "Master Cloudstrike, we will need ten Stormbringers."

"Then you shall have them for this task, Lord Zhu." Cloudstrike agreed immediately. Snowdrift seemed surprised, but that expression hastily faded from his face.

"I have chosen eight healers from the ranks of the Omnia." Yalia Sagewhisper stated confidently. "I will also send Fei-Li and Moshu the Arcane with them."

That was twenty Shado-Pan already, and the mages that Yalia mentioned were two of the best in the order. Fei-Li was young, but Moshu was a seasoned veteran. They could open a portal back to the Monastery if it became necessary to carry back any wounded. "Excellent, Yalia," Taran stated with a smile, "Wan, Nurong..." His voice was quieter. "I know that the bulk of the Wu Kao and the Blackguard are in the field. Without your disciplines...this assault will not succeed. I ask...but I know that you do not have many to spare."

Nurong met Taran's eyes at once. "I have chosen seven of the Wu Kao to accompany me, including Suna Silentstrike, Lord Zhu." He turned to Taoshi. "You will be left here in my stead, Taoshi, until Ling of the Six Pools returns from her father's funeral."

Taoshi nodded immediately. That left Wan Snowdrift. "Battlemaster Jiang and Protector Yi shall lead the Blackguard contingent. I can only spare eight, however..." Snowdrift stated after a moment of pondering who he would dispatch to the task. "Take good care of them, Nurong." Nurong bowed in response.

Taran Zhu smiled; it was a credit to his commanders that they had a very solid idea of who among their orders could take down the Sha of Anger before this meeting. "Hawkmaster, when do you plan to leave?" He asked.

"Our force shall leave at first light of the new day, Lord Zhu." Nurong answered. "We'll take the night to rest up...and then we'll head into the field."

The Lord of the Shado-Pan nodded resolutely. "Speak with Rushi before you go." His eyes widened. "Better yet, take him with you. We may end up with more than thirty-six Shado-Pan for this mission...but you will need to be properly provisioned."

Nurong bowed. "With your permission, Lord Zhu...I shall get a good night's rest before setting off on this task."

Taran bowed in reply. "If there is no other pressing business...I believe we are adjourned for the night." He stood to his feet. "I wish you good fortune on your mission if I do not see you before you leave, Nurong."

The Wu Kao Hawkmaster stood and headed off towards the bulk of the monastery, which was shrouded by nightfall. The sun vanished behind the mountains even as Nurong headed off. Taran Zhu held out his hand and caught a single blossom...black around the edges. _You will need all the help you can get for this task, Hawkmaster. May it go well..._

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTES: The miniature Shado-Pan Assault is now underway. A preview of coming attractions, mayhaps?

On another note, taking on Writer's Block (Level ? Elemental) on 1-man heroic mode is NOT FUN.


	16. Of Disquieted Minds

SHADO-PAN MONASTERY

BEFORE DAWN OF THE TENTH DAY

LIN SILENTSTRIKE

Lin had arrived at the Shado-Pan Monastery after a night of traveling on his riding tiger, a journey made out of necessity. He had spent a week in the company of the Golden Lotus, instructing their young rogues on the arts of infiltration and sabotage. After seven days, Zhi the Harmonious, the leader of the Order of the Golden Lotus, dismissed Lin after a great banquet in the Golden Pagoda, holding up a letter that had just arrived from the Shado-Pan Monastery and bearing the signature of Hawkmaster Nurong. Of course, Lin had some difficulties saying goodbye...he'd made new friends. He Softfoot, while masterful of those same arts, had appreciated the tips that Lin had given him. Even if he couldn't express his appreciation by speech, Lin knew He was quite grateful based on the huge hug that the Golden Lotus rogue had given him. That gesture of thanks...made the night ride back to the Monastery an even lonelier journey. Lin knew in his heart he had to make it back, however...if he saw what he was leaving behind during the day, it would be much tougher to reconcile leaving. _One of the most sacred places in Pandaria, and I only got to spend a week there...perhaps I will have occasion to visit again._

The Wardens were the only ones on guard in the dormitories as Lin padded quietly down a cold corridor. The heat of the day had fled with the sun, and the frigid air of Kun-Lai stole the breath of those who dared tread outside the Monastery at this hour. He met the gaze of a female Warden, who nodded affably as she too walked the long halls of the Monastery. The sun had not yet risen... _I hope Suna is well. I would like to see her, if she is not elsewhere, _Lin thought. He passed by the rooms of Tenwu of the Red Smoke, Taoshi, and Jansho Ghostpaw on the way to his own room. While other doors were closed in the hall, Lin knew from experience that these three kept open doors at all times...Jansho in particular hated closing himself off to the outside world by closing it. Lin smiled as he saw Jansho lying flat on his back, his eyes closed and a sleepy smile on his face as he stared at the ceiling. Lin was glad that his friend was content...or at least, was not having foul dreams. Tenwu, who slept across the hall from Jansho, lay sprawled on his stomach, heavy snores emanating from his thick figure. He snuffled very loudly and snorted, and much to Lin's displeasure, Tenwu rolled from his stomach onto his back. With nothing to obstruct his snores, the loud snuffling breaths of the slumbering Tenwu soon echoed down the halls. There were three indistinct slams as bamboo doors were sealed shut. Lin shook his head, the noise of the sleeping Tenwu following him as he walked the short distance to the quarters he shared with his wife. He pulled the door mostly shut, yet left it partially opened.

As for Taoshi, the room across the hall from his own, she was still awake. Even at this late hour, the young rogue meditated, a thick ribbon of chi flowing about her body, and she suddenly seemed to sway a bit unsteadily as Lin whispered, "Is everything all right, Taoshi?"

Taoshi smiled sleepily as her eyes opened from the meditation. "Oh, Lin! Good to see you. Yes, everything's just fine...although I was nodding off."

"I don't think we can have that." Lin placed a hand on his hips. "Sleeping while meditating is certainly an interesting idea...but I'm not sure I could pull that off."

Taoshi nodded. "I might give it a try some time." She broke the meditative pose, sitting cross-legged, her arms folded over her stomach. "How is the Vale?"

"Things are quiet enough, Taoshi." Lin reported, stepping closer to her room. "I did run some young Golden Lotus rogues through training exercises and even got to give a few pointers to He Softfoot." Lin smiled wistfully. "I was sorry that I had to leave, but after six days, a letter arrived at the Golden Pagoda from the Monastery. Nurong wanted me back..." Lin Silentstrike bowed. "And here I am."

Taoshi's eyes grew heavier with sleep that she could no longer deny, and her nods were weaker. "I'm glad to see you, Lin, and I hope to hear your report later. I...must excuse myself." She yawned loudly and stretched out.

Lin nodded. "Go to sleep, brave Taoshi. We will speak later." She smiled and fell asleep almost where she sat, flopping on her back and snoring softly. Lin shook his head and crossed the hall. Suna slept on her side, soft breaths escaping her open mouth. Lin smiled helplessly, removed the hat of the Shado-Pan, and closed the bamboo door to his quarters. Suna stirred a bit, and her eyes opened to regard him.

"You return, my love." Suna said in a half-asleep tone. "How was the Vale?"

Lin had spoken with her before his departure, but he was still very happy to see his wife. "All the beauty of the Vale of Eternal Blossoms is pale in comparison to you, Suna." He said with a flourish and a bow. "I am sorry that I disturbed your rest."

She smiled. "You always _did_ know the way to my heart." Lin removed the top half of his uniform, and Suna smiled. "You have gained weight. Good. The Golden Lotus have never been known to allow their guests to starve." She rubbed his heavy stomach with a hand.

"That is...true enough." Lin smiled as he lay down next to her. "I missed you, beloved."

Suna rolled onto her side to face him, and wrapped her arms about Lin's neck. "And I greatly missed you. But you _are_ tired," she said sorrowfully, removing her left hand and holding it to his eyebrows. She traced them gently with her index finger. "Your weariness accompanied you back to the Monastery, Lin..."

Lin nodded helplessly. "I rode through the night, Suna. I felt..."

She held the same hand to his lips. "I know, Lin. If **I** saw that I was leaving the Vale in broad daylight, it would be even harder to leave." She placed it on his shoulder and smiled once more.

"Knowing that I would see you made it easier, Suna." Lin admitted, taking her left hand gently and kissing it.

Suna smiled. "Flatterer." She always did understand him...

"I do my best." Lin admitted, placing his head against his wife's neck and placing a kiss against her fur.

"You should..." Suna made a little sound of contentment, and within moments, the Silentstrikes fell asleep.

* * *

THE OX-GATE

MORNING OF THE TENTH DAY

LAO-CHIN THE IRON BELLY

The sun rose high over the mountains of Kun-Lai, and Lao-Chin the Iron Belly woke within the gatehouse to the sounds of laughter. He pushed himself off the sleeping pad and looked about. Lao-Chin yawned and saw four monks gathered over the table; he checked to make certain his pants were about his waist, nodded as he saw that they were, and stood to his full height. At almost seven feet tall, Lao-Chin towered over all of these monks, all of whom were less than six feet tall. "How goes the game?" Lao-Chin asked; sleep still clinging to his voice. He yawned once more, feeling the taste of a good night's brew on his breath...his own brew. _I'll have to adjust the mixture when the time presents itself._ The previous night's sentries slept as well, some snoring softly within the gatehouse.

"The jihui goes well enough, Iron Belly." Brother Shan replied with a smile. "Cuo here seems to think he has the advantage..."

"I **do** have the advantage." Cuo responded icily. "Do **not** get ahead of yourself, Shan." He met Lao-Chin's eyes and offered a good-humored smile. "We were almost to the point where we'd take bets on when you'd wake up, Lao-Chin."

Lao-Chin realized that the Shado-Masters were absent, as was Ban Bearheart. "Are the Shado-Masters in the field?" He asked the monks.

Brother Dao, who had gray hairs already beginning to make themselves present in his black beard, nodded. "They are, Lao-Chin. Chong is manning the gate while Ban, Zhiyao, and Zhen went on ahead into Townlong on a scouting party. We got left on guard duty..." Dao made a face, he was observing the game of jihui but it was clear that he was not content to watch. "If you'd like, I'll accompany you."

"I'd appreciate it, Dao." That left Shan and Cuo to their game, with a female monk whose name Lao-Chin completely blanked on watching the game.

Dao nodded. "It's warm enough outside that we shouldn't need the cloaks, but you never know." He grasped two cloaks, one for himself and one for Lao-Chin that was substantially bigger.

"That is true enough." Lao-Chin murmured in agreement. He threw the large cloak over his back with his right hand and hefted his brewmaster's staff with his other hand. Technically, Lao-Chin had trained as a monk, but not in the same sense that Dao, Cuo, or Shan had. They spent their lives in meditation, seldom going into the field except to accompany someone like Ban Bearheart or a Shado-Master...which was the occasion that had drawn them out. Lao-Chin, by contrast, was a brewmaster monk of the Blackguard discipline, and could expect Snowdrift to send him out of the Monastery on a more regular basis. "How did you sleep, Dao?" He asked respectfully as the door opened to reveal the outside world of Kun-Lai.

The high peaks of Kun-Lai were shrouded by clouds in parts. The sun poked through them, and brilliant sunbeams ranked over the land, illuminating patches of bare rock and timberline alike. Crevasses of ice and high mountain rock were swept over by swift bands of cloud, and in the higher elevations, snow was beginning to fall. Dao considered his reply to Lao-Chin before he answered. "Well enough, I'd say. Although Chong's snoring got to me after a little bit..." He shook his head disdainfully, the braids in his beard swishing about. "If he does that again, I may leave a drop of honey in his mouth. It would at least partially stifle his nighttime roars..."

Lao-Chin, who was no small snorer himself, now wondered just how loud Shado-Master Chong's slumber was and chuckled. The honey drop remedy was an old Shado-Pan trick of remedying those who snored far too loudly. He'd been on the receiving end of that treatment. He shrugged to Dao. "Well, I'm sure he'd appreciate the sweet treat, if little else. Be careful, though, he might eat your hand."

At once, Dao laughed aloud. Lao-Chin squinted as sunbeams swept over their position. The Ox-Gate's great doors were open to Townlong beyond, and several veteran Shado-Pan stood on guard. Lao-Chin sighted a familiar figure atop the Ox-Gate, and Snow Blossom stepped to the ladder that gave those on the ground access to the top. She waved to them before she descended the ladder, as gracefully as any crane. "Lao-Chin, Dao! Are you headed into the field?" She asked.

Lao-Chin nodded. "Snow Blossom, could you show us to where Shado-Masters Zhen and Zhiyao are?"

"I certainly can. They said they were going to investigate the Yaungol presence to the South..." Snow Blossom nodded at once. "We'd better inform Chong first, though."

That was quite sensible to Lao-Chin. A tiger roared in the distance, and the three turned to see a Shado-Pan sentry riding hard down the path. The dust stirred up by the tiger's heavy treads rose over the road that led back to the rest of Kun-Lai. Seeing her fellow Shado-Pan, the scout at once slowed her pace as she came to the Ox-Gate. "Snow Blossom!" She greeted the older Omnia, who she recognized on sight. "I have a report from the Monastery for Shado-Master Chong and Ban Bearheart. It's got Lord Zhu's seal on it." She dismounted her tiger as she drew within twenty feet.

Snow Blossom understood the urgency. "I just came down from the wall. I'll inform Chong at once, but Ban's in the field..." She gave a look to Lao-Chin and Dao. "You two were heading into the field to see Ban, yes? Tell him he's needed at once, and that Lord Zhu has a report for him." She met Lao-Chin's eyes. "I know he's not been the kindest to you of late, Iron Belly..."

Lao-Chin nodded grimly. Ban had been particularly hard on him lately...and he already thought Lao-Chin was an idiot. "I'll inform him at once."

"Good." The courier shrugged her shoulders.

Snow Blossom pointed through the Ox-Gate. "Ban and the Shado-Masters were near Longying Outpost to the south, Lao-Chin. They shouldn't have gotten too far away from there."

"We'll retrieve Ban in short order, Snow Blossom." Lao-Chin bowed. "Come on, Dao, let's get going."

Dao bowed to Snow Blossom, and the two of them headed to the Ox-Gate. They explained their business to the guards in short order. Their brothers and sisters allowed them through with tight nods. "Watch yourself. I've heard the yaungol are baying for our blood out from their damnable fire camp..." One of the veteran guardswomen shuddered. "If they try and push past us, we'll be ready for them."

"We cannot falter now." Dao nodded quietly in agreement. "Remain vigilant, sister." His gaze lingered for a moment, and he reluctantly followed after Lao-Chin.

"You too, Brother Dao." She bowed her head as they left.

To Lao-Chin, it seemed that Dao and the guard they had just encountered were on better terms than either of them was willing to let on. When they were in Townlong proper and well out of earshot of the Ox-Gate, Lao-Chin broached the subject...delicately, of course. "Did you know her?"

Dao met Lao-Chin's eyes, having to look a ways up to do so. "Do you mean that guardswoman?" Dao asked, and Lao-Chin clarified that with a swift nod. "She and I are...close." Dao admitted after a while. "I didn't realize she'd been posted to the wall." His voice trailed off wistfully.

Lao-Chin said nothing for a while. There were those who had successful relationships among the Shado-Pan. The Silentstrikes, for one, were Wu Kao Rogues who had gotten married early on in their Shado-Pan careers. Lao-Chin shook his head, and thought, _considering our very high attrition rates and the fact that many Shado-Pan do not spend more than fifteen years in the service of the order before their lives are snuffed out...there are very few second-generation Shado-Pan. _ Jansho Ghostpaw had a wife outside of the order, as did Shado-Master Zhiyao. While love was not forbidden among the Shado-Pan, the incredible time demand placed upon almost every member of the order strained relationships. The fact that each and every person in the order could be yanked halfway around Pandaria with one command from the higher-ups made matters even more difficult. But they were still strong, the best that Pandaria had to offer.

"I'm glad you have someone special, Dao." Lao-Chin finally rumbled after a moment.

He could have sworn that Dao's cheeks turned an unusual shade of red. "Well...thank you, Iron Belly." The monk admitted under his breath. The rest of their journey to Longying was made in silence but for the ground sloshing and squishing beneath their feet. The snow from the previous day's snowstorms was melting away under the sunlight, and gathering into small pools of water.

"Best to avoid those." Lao-Chin murmured. Dao made no reply, and the only sounds that accompanied the squelching Shado-Pan to Longying were the buzz of the wasps and mosquitoes.

* * *

THE OX-GATE

AFTERNOON OF THE TENTH DAY

Lao-Chin the Iron Belly and Snow Blossom had been invited by Shado-Master Zhen and Ban Bearheart, respectively, to weigh in on the news from the Monastery. Ban, being the co-leader of a discipline, spoke up to begin the impromptu meeting of the senior Shado-Pan of this area. "The Sha of Anger has fled the Monastery." Ban reported quietly. "Taran Zhu has requested that Shado-Master Chong report back to the Monastery, considering the lack of Yaungol activity in the region, along with the ten most tired defenders along this section of the wall." Ban's voice held a disappointed note. Lao-Chin assumed this meant he was very unhappy about losing Chong's presence in the field...

"That is a sensible request." Shado-Master Zhen rumbled. "Can we meet it, Ban?" He addressed Ban as an equal, something that his position as Shado-Master entitled him to do while in the field. Zhiyao was the unofficial representative for the Wu Kao in the area.

Ban Bearheart nodded at once. "We can. We've been...fortunate to have weather such as we've had in recent days."

Shado-Master Chong nodded wearily. "We did find a group of Yaungol that blundered into the heart of the blizzard and froze to death on their way here." He shook his head. "Waste of life. Hate to see it anywhere, even among enemies. They died freezing, far from home, despondent..." Chong sighed. "I will take the ten most exhausted fighters and return to the Monastery. Some rest and recovery would do us all good."

Ban looked to Zhen. "Shado-Master, is Longying secure?"

"For the time being, it is." Zhen responded, holding a hand to his beard. "But that could change at any moment. I've got a dozen rangers in the field. I've deployed them in twos and threes; we can't have lone rangers get picked off by the Yaungol, after all..."

"Agreed." Shado-Master Chong stated. "The less confident the yaungol are, the better it'll be for us. We need to break their will to fight, and I can tell the recent storms have affected their morale. They'll look for small victories wherever they can find them..." He shook his head.

"They've also made Townlong into mush, Shado-Masters." Snow Blossom observed with a bow of her head. "The grounds outside the Ox-Gate and to the south are too soggy for massed formations to work, and the mud could easily claim lives if people aren't careful. All it takes is one wrong step..."

Lao-Chin shuddered. There were no good ways to die in his opinion, but for a Shado-Pan to get sucked into the mud would be a truly horrible fate. This wasn't Krasarang where that kind of thing was a risk...this was a frigid region that had seen a heavy snowfall followed by a very hot period that had melted it all. There were standing pools of water where mosquitoes and wasps alike buzzed about; the mosquitoes attempting to breed while the wasps attempted to get mud for their nests. It had not been a pleasant journey for Dao and Lao-Chin down to Longying, and an even more unpleasant return trip.

Zhen agreed with Snow Blossom's statement, nodding sadly. Ban spoke up, "For that reason, I'll order our riding tigers to be sent up to Winter's Blossom. They get one paw stuck in that mud and it's essentially curtains for them."

Chong looked to the sentry that had relayed the report. "Did Lord Zhu say when he wanted us to be back?"

"He didn't, sir." She shook her head.

"I'll _assume_ that means he wants us back as fast as possible." Chong sighed, a testy note to his voice.

Ban nodded quietly. "I think that's about it..." His voice trailed off. Ban then met Lao-Chin's eyes, and then Snow Blossom's. "If anything else comes up...you're to inform Zhen, Zhiyao, and myself." He looked to the sentry. "Inform Lord Zhu that Shado-Master Chong is on his way back, and give him my compliments."

"Of course, sir." The sentry bowed, and a moment later, the sound of heavy footpaws was heard as the sentry raced on up the mountain, back to the Monastery.

Lao-Chin nodded, and Snow Blossom and he bowed.

Ban Bearheart at once left the gatehouse, the door slamming behind him. Zhen shook his head. "I don't know what wasp crawled up his ear, but he sure seemed irritable." Zhen chuckled as he finished, but Zhiyao at once cuffed him across the chest. Zhen looked offended, but Zhiyao shook his head once more. _Clearly not the best behavior from a Shado-Master, _Lao-Chin reflected.

"It's not your place, Zhen." Zhiyao murmured. "Ban's under a **lot** of pressure. You can see that."

"It's self-imposed, Zhiyao!" Zhen protested. "He has to be better than Yalia in everything."

Zhiyao met his eyes and Zhen visibly backed down. "Self-imposed or not, he's short on temper and patience. Don't push him."

Lao-Chin had noticed that, but didn't mention it. "He's not happy about Chong leaving." He mused aloud.

Chong rolled his eyes. "Well, _I'm_ not happy to leave if you need me, but Lord Zhu's orders are Lord Zhu's orders." He sighed once more. "If only we had someone who wasn't as short-tempered..."

"The air _is_ getting stale in here." Zhiyao muttered after a moment. "It's like..."

Lao-Chin felt the foreboding in the air. "Could the Sha of Anger have come by? The report said it had fled the Monastery, Shado-Masters."

"It's...possible." Zhen admitted, but Lao-Chin could sense just how much the veteran Shado-Master didn't want to admit that.

Snow Blossom nodded. "If it came close during the night and we never noticed, it could have left pieces of itself behind."

"Fragments of anger..." Chong muttered darkly.

Snow Blossom held a hand to her chin. "Even if Anger _didn't_ come this way...it could be that our desperate southern _neighbors_ have made them stronger by growing angrier and angrier at their plight."

"They _are_ on the edge of despair." Zhen nodded quietly. "Pushed to their limits, driven from their homes...small wonder the yaungol would be angry. And Sha only need a tiny little opening to take advantage of." Lao-Chin shivered despite the warmth of the gatehouse.

"Like a snake." Zhiyao nodded quietly. "Snow Blossom, Lao-Chin... Could you go down to the Fallback in the south just to make certain that Anger hasn't been this way? If the Sha of Anger came anywhere close, the sentries on the wall will know."

"Or they'll be dead, and you'll be able to tell based on what the damnable thing left behind." Chong stated somberly. "We've all fought them... Don't underestimate what they're capable of doing."

"We'll find out, Shado-Masters, and we'll return at once." Snow Blossom bowed. "Well, Lao-Chin? Are you ready for some wall walking?"

Lao-Chin snorted, and Snow Blossom smiled. "I'd be lying if I told you that, Snow Blossom." He responded with a shrug.

* * *

SHADO-PAN MONASTERY

DAWN OF THE ELEVENTH DAY

TARAN ZHU

Taran Zhu had removed the scarf that covered his face and his helmet as he lay out on his back. His thick stomach gurgled with hunger as the fingertips of dawn began to reach over the mountains. He had partaken of excellent food the night before, and he hungered now...but he had not truly slept. He was still sluggish. His mind was...occupied. Taran couldn't rest. Not like this...not with so much going on. The Yaungol were marauding in the Townlong Steppes, the Sha of Anger was on the loose in Kun-Lai, the Mogu were rising up elsewhere in Pandaria, and the outsiders were stirring up trouble in the Jade Forest. How could _anyone_ with his responsibilities possibly sleep at a time like this?

"Taran." Wan Snowdrift's voice caused Taran to come to his senses at once. He rolled over to face Wan, one of his oldest friends and the Monastery's second in command.

"Yes, Wan?" Taran asked him.

Wan's face filled with concern as he made out Taran's face in the morning light. "I'm sorry, Taran. I didn't mean to wake you."

"Too late for that now, old friend." Taran rubbed at the dark circles around his eyes, the circles that made him Pandaren...but he felt that there was so much exhaustion crammed into them. "What is it?"

"We've received word that outsiders have been sighted in Krasarang." Wan Snowdrift, Master of the Blackguard Discipline reported quietly. "It was just a rumor, but we've seen the scouts."

"Only scouts at this point, yes?" Taran asked him.

Snowdrift nodded, his topknot bobbing up and down. "Yes, Lord Zhu."

"I see." Taran sighed and lay back in the bed, stretching both arms behind his head...and bumping into the spiky stubble from his days on the road. He still had to get that cut... "That is...to be expected, I guess."

"The Blackguard detachment that you ordered to Nectarbreeze Village has been dispatched as well, Taran." Wan stated after a moment. "Chao the Voice led them before nightfall. They should report back on the status of the village within five days."

Taran's eyes widened slightly. "Chao's young, but you must think she's capable of that responsibility."

Master Snowdrift nodded in the dim light of the new morning. "I told her before she left to rely on her prudence and caution. She's a good soldier, but she makes mistakes. Unfortunately...I don't have anyone else. Yi and Jiang are chasing the Sha of Anger, both Zhen and Lao-Chin are at the Ox-Gate...and now Chao's in the field as well..." Wan sighed. "But enough about my problems, Lord Zhu." He strode up to Taran Zhu and said pointedly, "_You_ aren't sleeping."

"There's just too much to do." Taran insisted.

Wan's hardened, graying face was creased by concern. "Taran, we need you to be at your best in the days ahead. Collapsing from exhaustion won't help anyone...least of all yourself." Taran sighed. This was not a struggle he could easily win. "If you would like, I could ask Yalia to make you some fresh tea...with something to ease your slumber."

Taran nodded wearily. That was probably the best remedy. "Please do so, Wan. And make sure I drink it...and fall asleep."

"You won't need to worry about that, Taran." Wan bowed, stood, and left Taran to his thoughts as the great red disc of the sun finally broke over the mountains, mingling with the clouds of Kun-Lai. It was an image of utter tranquility, to Taran Zhu's sleepy mind, but it was tranquility that they would never know again. He vowed to cherish it...

When Wan Snowdrift returned with the hot teacup, he made absolutely certain that Taran Zhu drank every last Lord of the Shado-Pan soon plunged into a deep slumber for the first time since leaving Tian Monastery...his face neither smiling nor frowning as he slept.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Well, this took forever. I decided to upload my 21st Chapter for my Mass Effect fanfiction (which had been on hiatus for months on end), and this unfortunately got put aside until that was done. So here's another long chapter for your enjoyment, uploaded at the crack of dawn (seriously). Let me know if I screwed up anywhere, and of course drop a review letting me know what you liked!


	17. Chaos in the Jade Forest

THE SERPENT'S HEART, THE JADE FOREST

AFTERNOON OF THE SEVENTEENTH DAY

CHAO THE VOICE

Chao the Voice, a young battlemaster of the Blackguard Discipline, stood in shock as she surveyed the worst sight that her eyes had yet beheld. She nearly dropped to her knees as she regarded what had once been the great pillar around which the Jade Serpent Statue had been coiled. _Had,_ of course, was the key word. The Serpent Statue had been utterly ruined, as it had been shattered from within and then fallen to the ground. A monstrous, seething black form of utter evil, well known to the Shado-Pan, cackled as it rose over the ruins of what had once been the Serpent's Heart.

_Sha. _Her fellow Blackguard were similarly stunned. She saw one of the elder males with black streaks through gray fur fall to the ground as he wept bitterly. This was a disaster. This was _**not**_ something that was supposed to happen. The fighting that had provoked the massive Sha to rise up continued. The red-clad outsiders and the hozen arrayed themselves against the blue-clad outsiders and the jinyu. Chao tried to resolve the insanity that she saw before her in her mind...

Dimly, Chao became aware that the others were staring at her. She heard the voices of Khagara Jiang, Shado-Master Zhen, Yalia, Snowdrift...all telling Chao what she must do if she ever found herself confronting a Sha. _I cannot hesitate. _Chao raised her heavy spear. "We are the sword in the shadows." She intoned grimly. "Blackguard! When evil such as this rises, what do we do as Shado-Pan?!" She asked her command, a group of seven Shado-Pan Blackguard members that had accompanied her.

"We shall not falter!" They intoned as one, and even the male who wept wiped away the tears from his face and rose to his feet. Their weapons drawn, the Shado-Pan surveyed the scene, waiting for Chao's command. Adrenaline pumped through the Blackguard Battlemaster's veins as she surveyed the field of battle.

The Sha was deriving a great deal of strength from those who fought and scrabbled for life at its feet, but it began swinging wildly and cackling with delight at the strife about it. Huge formations of jinyu and hozen fell to the earth before the Sha's might, and Chao shook her head as dark clouds began to consume their bodies. Great fissures suddenly seemed to crack open, and massive clouds of shadow energy rose up and into the air, suffusing the Sha; making it ever stronger.

"To engage that monstrosity with only eight of us would end in disaster, Chao." One of the older Blackguard present, Shiya Boldblade, an female with a graying topknot, spoke solemnly.

"We can't wade in there." Chao agreed. "But we also can't allow that thing to go about unopposed..."

"Look at that!" Liu of the Thousand Blows, an older male, pointed towards a rising form. Chao squinted. Was that a cloud serpent?

She blinked again and took out a small spyglass. Liu and another Blackguard did likewise. Chao the Voice sighted a red cloud serpent as it rose from somewhere to the West, and it soared through the air above the gigantic Sha. The spyglass allowed Chao to make out two riders; both of them were Pandaren, a male and a female. The male held the reins of the cloud serpent while the female fired a weapon of some sort. Chao's eyes widened as she saw that the Pandaren woman aboard the cloud serpent was wielding a cannon that she had slung over her shoulder. There was a gigantic boom as the weapon was fired, and a great chasm of shadow energy that had been seething energy into the Sha suddenly sealed shut with a shower of sparks.

The colossal Sha began to shrink. The Cloud Serpent flew over the Sha's raking claws and another shot rang out. Again, another hit sealed a distant fissure. The Blackguard under Chao's command cheered, but Chao silenced them. "Those two brave Pandaren aboard the serpent are making our duties easier, Blackguard! Get your tigers and get ready to ride. We're going to fight off the weaker Sha while those two cut the big one down to size."

Liu and the others nodded...and the Blackguard soon sprinted into battle.

* * *

EVENING OF THE SEVENTEENTH DAY

Ruined.

That was what Chao the Voice thought as she overviewed the field of utter, complete devastation she saw.

The great statue was destroyed. The Sha of Doubt had ravaged the battlefield thoroughly before it was cut off from the source of its power. The Alliance and the Horde had fought and died at its feet. Blackened earth, now seeping unnatural, ethereal, evil clouds of simmering sha-dust, surrounded the tower.

Chao had never seen anything quite like this. She hoped she never would again.

The squabbling leaders that had incited this conflict had been extricated from the field of battle, some with more wounds than others. Chao turned her eyes from the field of black and evil dust, and surveyed her unit of Blackguard. She saw only light wounds. "We were fortunate this day, Shado-Pan." She said at once, looking over to where the jinyu and hozen bodies had been laid. They were set apart in separate piles, and the corpses of the outsiders that had fallen had been likewise separated. There was no need for a battle to break out over the graveyard, after all... "They were **not** so fortunate." Her voice trailed off reluctantly.

The two Pandaren that had sealed the fissures feeding the Sha stood apart from one another, both staring at the shattered remnants of the tower around which the Jade Serpent statue had once clung. _I owe them a great debt, _Chao thought, _as they stopped the damnable thing from getting out of control. But the damage has already been done. _She walked over to the two, and they met Chao's eyes. She saw remorse reflected in the deep brown eyes of the female and the steel-gray eyes of the male. She saw...grief in them both. _They fought to try and stop this from taking place._

They were not alone in that aspect. A female troll had made it clear to the Shado-Pan during the fighting that she was no Zandalari, and in fact, that she wanted to help them. The eight Blackguard and the troll had formed an excellent fighting formation against the Sha essences that littered the field after the statue fell. Now, the troll tended to a tiger, which was clearly quite dear to her. She had a heavy rifle slung over her back; she had fought the Sha with murderous effectiveness. _She's a hunter and has **excellent** skill with that weapon._ They hadn't been alone in their endeavors; while the male and female Pandaren fired at the Sha from the sky, a darker male human had been...reluctant, but willing to put aside his differences with the troll in the middle of the Shado-Pan formation to fight off the Sha. The human...was a mage of some sort, with flowing bluish-turquoise robes that swished about him wherever he went. _A frost mage, from what I saw. _Chao reflected.

The female Pandaren turned to Chao and introduced herself with a low bow. "I am Hui Chang of the Wandering Isle, Shado-Pan." She stated quietly. "You have...my utmost apologies for what happened this day." Hui gulped and looked back towards the shattered remnants of what was supposed to be the successor serpent to Yu'lon.

Chao was curious. "You know that we are Shado-Pan?" She remembered that while Taran Zhu had left the Monastery, she hadn't been in the know of that situation. It was only when Wan Snowdrift approached Chao and informed her that she'd be leading the Blackguard team to the Jade Forest that she had found out more.

Hui nodded at once. "I met with Lord Zhu in Honeydew Village, and had the honor of fighting at his side against the Sha."

Chao's eyes widened. She remembered Master Snowdrift telling her something about that before she had left, but couldn't remember it until now. "Well, Hui Chang...it's an honor to meet you." She bowed her own head. "I am Chao the Voice, of the Shado-Pan Blackguard."

The male Pandaren, a monk with reddish-brown fur, walked over to Chao, but continued to stand apart from Hui. "I am Kuang Cloudwalker, and I am also from the Wandering Isle." He bowed respectfully. "I was also able to fight at Taran Zhu's side. In that respect...I am similar to Hui. We had the same teacher." Chao saw that their eyes met. "But I serve the Alliance."

"And I serve the Horde." Hui stated in response, no hostility present.

Chao's eyes widened. "If my eyes did not deceive me, you worked together today, despite the fact that you fight for opposing armies. Why?"

"Why did I fight?" Hui asked, attempting to clarify the question. "I didn't leave home just so I could fight _against_ anyone in particular. I left...so that I could learn what we on the Wandering Isle had missed out on for so long." She lowered her head.

Kuang nodded. "Our teacher was a good one. We do not fight without a reason. What good would it have done us to cross blades while that monster reigned over the field of battle?" He posed that question, and Chao nodded at once. "In truth...I do not believe our commanders understood that this day."

"Indeed, they did not." Shiya Boldblade walked up next to Chao. "Their actions were _nothing_ short of insanity."

"And the insanity of combat fueled the Sha." Chao said with a sad shake of her head.

Kuang's beard dipped up and down as he nodded. Hui spoke up. "It is...for the best that our commanders were so wrapped up in their struggle. I'd rather not imagine what Nazgrim would have said had he seen that I was working with you, Kuang." She looked towards him and met his eyes.

"Nor would I like to imagine what Admiral Taylor might have said about my working with you, Hui." Kuang shuddered and shook his head reluctantly. "We have seen the Sha in action, and they have not. Taran Zhu said that the Alliance forces in the north that fought with the Horde inspired them to rise from the earth itself."

Chao held up a hand. "Am I correct in assuming...that your leaders ordered you to have no contact with the other side?"

"You are." Hui nodded with great reluctance on her brow. "And Kuang...you are not correct. Nazgrim has fought the Sha twice. He _should_ have known better than to do this." Hui Chang's tone indicated her grave disappointment and seething resentment...

"I see. Well..." Chao chuckled mischievously. "I don't know what to say about them, but they _clearly_ must be fools. You two make a solid team..."

Hui and Kuang looked at each other, and Hui had a whimsical smile creeping about the corners of her lips. "Perhaps..."

Kuang nodded with a very similar expression. "I think I can understand why, but...that doesn't mean I have to like the reasons." He sighed. "The Alliance and Horde worry that their operations will be compromised if we talk to each other. If someone from the Wandering Isle who was more...mercenary than I am had started sending letters back to the Horde, complete with Alliance troop locations and information..." He shook his head disgustedly.

Hui shuddered. "You are...quite correct. But Hellscream needs neither rhyme nor reason for his commands. He just...does." She shrugged helplessly.

Chao nodded. "Your leaders did not act wisely this day. On that...we are all agreed."

There was a distant crunch in the undergrowth, and a hefty Pandaren wearing a beautiful tabard approached them with a small smile on his face. "Ah, Hui, Kuang! Our long-lost kin from the Wandering Isle, returned at last to this land..." He sighed. "I wish that you hadn't had to see what you saw this day, but it is...a wakeup call for the Alliance. And the Horde as well..." Chao recognized the tabard of the Lorewalkers and nodded deeply.

"Lorewalker Cho." Kuang Cloudwalker bowed at once.

Chao recognized that name: Lorewalker Pao, the keeper of knowledge and records of the Shado-Pan, spoke very well of Cho. "Kuang and Hui acquitted themselves well. The Sha took precedence over any squabbles they may have." She gave both Hui and Kuang a grateful glance. "We do not need further strife at this time."

"But of course!" Cho said at once. "They have proven themselves wiser than their commanders on this dark, dark day..." Cho gave a despondent look at the jade fragments that littered the grounds about them. "How disappointing." Cho met Hui's eyes, then Kuang's. "I know that you worked together to gather jade for this project."

Hui Chang nodded quietly. "It _was_ meant for the Jade Serpent's successor. Now...that statue has been reduced to fragments of what was supposed to be."

"There is quite a difference between what _should_ have been and what _is,_ isn't there?" Cho posed that question thoughtfully. "Well, I am glad to see that all of you are well, but there are many wounded among both sides this day...and many dead. Your healers have awoken first, fortunately..." Cho shook his head. "I'm sorry. That's not why I'm here. The Temple of the Jade Serpent...is in chaos at the moment."

The air seemed to be sucked away from them all. "The Sha of Doubt must have returned to the temple." Chao stated in a low voice. She looked to Hui and Kuang. "The Shado-Pan will assist you in destroying that foul thing once and for all. It is our charge." Chao bowed her head to them. This wasn't something she could leave to chance.

"We'll be glad to have you." Kuang met Hui's eyes and the two Pandaren from the Wandering Isle nodded almost as one.

Cho nodded sorrowfully. "This task must be done. Go, heroes: destroy the Sha before it can inflict further damage on this forest or worse, on Yu'lon herself. I will go throughout the field and tend to the wounded." The lorewalker's head dipped with grief.

Chao was not about to leave him alone. "Saghai, Jun, you are to protect Lorewalker Cho." When Cho looked at her with surprise in his eyes, Chao gave him her explanation. "They are the youngest, and are capable of such a task. Lorewalker, if lesser sha come upon you, can you promise me that you will defend yourself..."

Cho at once accepted her wisdom. "On a day such as this...I will appreciate your help, Saghai and Jun." The youngest two Shado-Pan looked to Chao, then bowed to Cho. The Lorewalker headed off at once, the two young Shado-Pan at his heels.

She regarded the last of the young members present here. "Li, you must ride back to Kun-Lai at once and inform Lord Taran Zhu of this incident with all possible speed."

Li, barely twenty-four years old, balked at being sent away. "Chao, you might need me this day."

Chao's eyebrows furrowed with discontent at being disobeyed. "I _need_ you to inform Lord Zhu at once, Li." Chao was not taking Li's excuses. "The sooner you leave, the sooner you will be there. The swifter this news is brought to him...the better."

Li finally nodded, but there was great reluctance on her part. She finally ran back to where the Shado-Pan tigers were located, and Chao made certain the young woman was off and on her way before she turned back to the rest of her team. There were now only four aside from herself...Liu of the Thousand Blows, Shiya Boldblade, Rhann Silverblade, Sya Kingfisher... "You have followed me faithfully thus far, Blackguard." She bowed to each of them in turn. "We will not falter, and we will not fail. Belief will get us through this day."

* * *

SHADO-PAN MONASTERY, KUN-LAI SUMMIT

AFTERNOON OF THE EIGHTEENTH DAY

JANSHO GHOSTPAW

Jansho had awoken when the red curtain of the new day began drawing up and over the eastern horizon. Since then, he'd gone about his duties throughout the Monastery, spoken with Ling of the Six Pools, who had returned from her father's funeral not long after Nurong's departure, and now, he sat in his quarters, meditating. His chi flow was strong, his eyes closed as he whispered the words of a particularly deep meditation. He sat at ease within the comfort of his quarters, the peaks of Kun-Lai seemingly stretching on forever, even though they were so close... The world's concerns were far away from him at the moment. He centered himself as perfectly as he could...when he was interrupted.

The sudden swish of footpaws on the floor mat of his room and the grip of warm paws about his shoulders snapped Jansho out of his meditation on the spot. He rolled his eyes. "Lin Silentstrike, if you are doing this out of humor..."

Jansho regarded Lin out of the corner of his eyes, and did not see the Shado-Pan helmet on his head. "Taran Zhu left this morning, Jansho." Lin stood to his side now, and there was concern on his face. "Snowdrift's calling a meeting."

Jansho Ghostpaw stretched his arms pondered. "He has his reasons for doing so, Lin. We're not always privy to them."

Lin shook his head. "That's just it. Snowdrift wants to speak to _all_ of us, as does Ling of the Six Pools. Li's back as well."

"Li?" Jansho knew at least two people by that name among the Shado-Pan. "Bowmistress Li was recalled from the Serpent's Spine?"

Lin shook his head again. "No, I'm sorry. It'll be clear once we're there."

Jansho shrugged, it was obvious that he was missing some connection with Lin at some level, and whatever Lin was saying wasn't truly registering. "Where does Snowdrift want to talk to us?"

"His dojo." Lin answered.

"Of course." Jansho murmured as he rose to his feet, Lin offering him support. "You sleep well, Lin?"

Lin made no immediate reply as they left Jansho's room. "As well as I can. Knowing that my wife's on the hunt for the Sha of Anger, while I'm here..." Lin admitted after an uncomfortable pause.

Jansho nodded but said nothing until they reached the Snowdrift Dojo. "I know it's not easy, but Nurong had his reasons for taking her and not you. You and I both have to trust in his wisdom."

Lin's eyes closed tightly. After a moment, he met Jansho's eyes directly. "How do you and Qagaora spend so much time _apart_?" Lin asked somberly.

In truth, Jansho didn't know, and before he could answer, they filed into the Dojo. Every single member of the Shado-Pan present in the monastery, save a handful on the watch, sat in the dojo, and they whispered to one another about what they thought might be going on. Jansho sighted Tenwu of the Red Smoke on the other side of the dojo, near the great seal of Xuen at the foot of the stairs leading upwards. Tenwu beckoned them over, and the two Wu Kao Rogues carefully walked over to join the younger Tenwu. "Whatever's going on must be fairly serious, Jansho." Tenwu addressed him with a respectful note in his voice.

"It would have to be for Snowdrift to call a meeting like this." Lin Silentstrike agreed.

The great gong of the Monastery suddenly rang. Silence settled over the crowd, and Master Wan Snowdrift's towering form stepped down from the upper level of the Dojo. The Master of the Blackguard Discipline met Jansho, Lin, and Tenwu's eyes as he walked to the center of the Dojo's main floor. Snowdrift then clapped his hands together with a massive bang. He was _not_ to be interrupted. "Shado-Pan," Snowdrift stated in a booming voice. "Lord Zhu instructed me to call this meeting. He left with Gu Cloudstrike as soon as one of our messengers returned from the Jade Forest."

There was only the sound of breathing for a few moments. Snowdrift's presence was absolute, and none dared to speak. "Li, that messenger, has spoken to Taran Zhu of what she saw in the Jade Forest. Chao the Voice of the Blackguard Discipline ordered her to return with this news for Lord Zhu." Snowdrift looked down. "Upon receiving this news, Taran Zhu left at once, leaving only brief instructions for Yalia, Ling, and myself. The Sha of Doubt...has destroyed the great statue of the Jade Serpent." Jansho felt the breath sucked from his lips in horror. He had seen that statue more than a week previous, and it was truly immense...how could this happen? Snowdrift answered Jansho's unspoken question as he turned back towards the great seal of Xuen. "Chao sent Li back to us with this news. She intended to fight the Sha of Doubt if she could with her small force. Until we have more information...we cannot state what her situation is or her current whereabouts are." Snowdrift bowed his head.

Before any talk could begin on what Snowdrift had said, the Blackguard Master held up a great hand. "This news _is_ dark, Shado-Pan, but Taran Zhu desired you to hear it. We cannot fly blindly into the coming days." Snowdrift stated with authority in his voice. "Initiates, elders, respected members, bring your questions to me, Ling, and Yalia. We will get through this dark time. We are the sword in the shadows." He intoned.

"We shall not falter!" Over a hundred voices spoke as one. Jansho joined them instinctively.

Satisfied with that reply, Snowdrift remained at the center of the Dojo. "You are dismissed for the time being, brothers and sisters. I promise to keep you updated on this situation."

As the assembled Shado-Pan left the Snowdrift Dojo in groups of fives and sixes, Jansho found himself wondering just what had happened in the Jade Forest since his departure...and wished for the return of Taran Zhu now more than ever. _At least he did not go alone this time...Gu gave him a much faster ride._

* * *

NIGHT OF THE EIGHTEENTH DAY

YALIA SAGEWHISPER

Yalia was deep in meditation, but she heard the approaching footsteps as though her mind were detached from her body. _Taran Zhu will return soon. I wonder what has happened since Li reached us this day?_

She stood up and absorbed the chi her meditation had stirred up. Her Shado-Pan robes flowed about her feet as she turned and met the eyes of one of her students who had been on duty in the Sealed Chamber the night the Sha of Anger had escaped. Mei-Yan, a young shaman, bowed to her, and Yalia returned her student's bow in kind. "Mei-Yan Foxflame. You are well?"

"I am, Master Sagewhisper." Mei-Yan responded. There was a touch in her voice that indicated something was _not_ well, however.

_She still feels responsible for the escape of the Sha of Anger. _Yalia realized at once. "Mei-Yan...is there something you wished to speak with me about?"

There was an obvious question in Mei-Yan's eyes as to how Yalia could have known that, but she didn't ask it outright. She chose instead to answer Yalia's question. "There is." She admitted. "Why did Anger spare me?"

In truth, Yalia couldn't answer that question herself. "I honestly don't know. That evil thing was more intent on fleeing instead of fighting..." She regretted at once the fact that she had not spoken with Mei-Yan since that incident... She had, however, talked with Fei-Li the night before the younger fire mage was sent after the Sha of Anger with the more than forty Shado-Pan tasked with its destruction. "Mei-Yan, there are certain things we should and should not question. You are alive for a reason: the Sha did not spare you, but you would have mounted too great a challenge for it to snuff out. Had it tangled with you, or Fei-Li, or any of the others openly, we would have been capable of destroying it...and that would defeat its purpose of escaping."

Mei-Yan nodded, confidence creeping into her expression. "Thank you, Master Sagewhisper. That was...perhaps what I needed to hear."

Yalia smiled very slightly. "Your mind is a fortress, Mei-Yan. Doubt cannot enter into it. You are strong, and one day, you will serve us proudly. Keep improving: one day, Master Snowdrift will ask you to prove yourself to him in single combat. Be ready for that day."

"I will, Master Sagewhisper." Mei-Yan nodded resolutely and bowed. "Thank you."

With that, Mei-Yan left Yalia to her meditations. She had just knelt down, only for the great gong of the Monastery to sound and two horns to blow. _Taran Zhu. _She realized at once. She stood to her feet quickly and took in a deep breath, beginning her walk towards the Cloudstrike Dojo moments later.

She arrived just in time to see Wan Snowdrift stride purposefully down from the Snowdrift Dojo. "Yalia." He greeted her simply.

"Wan." She returned it. "I wonder what news Lord Zhu will have..."

The great doors opened to reveal the man in question. Taran Zhu met Yalia's eyes. They were red-rimmed with grief, and Yalia's heart sank. _Is Chao the Voice dead? Have we been hit by yet another death of a young Shado-Pan? _

"Yalia, Wan. I am glad to see you both." Taran spoke somberly to them, in a low voice as well so that others could not easily hear them. "Yu'lon was endangered, but the Sha of Doubt has been destroyed." He looked down. "However...Wise Mari, the Jade Serpent's Waterspeaker, and Liu Flameheart, the Jade Serpent's priest...have breathed their last breaths." Taran Zhu sighed wearily.

"What of Chao's team, Lord Zhu?" Snowdrift asked, urgency in his voice. _They were all Blackguard, his discipline. _Yalia realized instantly.

"They endured." Taran reported with a happier note to his voice. "They took on the Sha of Doubt with a small group of outsiders...and defeated it." His voice sank. "But the victory was _not_ without cost."

"Lord Zhu...did we lose anyone else?" Yalia asked before Wan could.

"No." Taran replied. "But this is clearly the doing of the outsiders. The Sha of Doubt grew to incredible strength, and inflicted enormous casualties on the hozen and jinyu forces that the outsiders rallied to their cause." Taran's expression became hardened. "Events are becoming ever clearer to me...and the outsiders are the cause of this present disaster." Taran sighed. "We shall speak of this later. For now...I will rest. As will Gu, for that matter."

Yalia was even more concerned for Taran as he walked away, having dismissed himself. Wan looked to Yalia and shrugged his shoulders. "He's been able to sleep fitfully at best without the assistance of my herbs."Yalia reflected aloud.

"At times such as this...the responsibilities of his position must be great indeed. As are ours..." Wan stated in an equally contemplative tone. "I'm glad to hear that Chao is well and alive, and that her team endured."

"You put your trust in the right person, Wan." Yalia nodded with a smile on her face. "I think we will not hear from Taran Zhu tonight on this matter. Tomorrow...perhaps then he will tell us what he saw."

Wan nodded quietly, and while he said nothing...he understood all too well what she meant_._

_ I hope I am right. And I hope that Taran does not seal himself like a tortoise climbing inside its shell, with the rest of the world outside... _Yalia thought to herself.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

Well, THAT concludes the Jade Forest arc, and establishes how Taran knew what went down there. Watch for coming chapters, a certain badass brewmaster from the Wandering Isle is set to make his appearance soon...


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